Coming Home
by Patricia Louise
Summary: Auggie, with Annie in tow, reluctantly agrees to go back to Glencoe for the Labor Day weekend. It's been four years since his last visit. Will this visit be better for him than the last? Now a sequel named 'A New Life'
1. Chapter 1

I'll try it again. No more crazy missions, just character and emotion driven stories about Auggie. By popular demand, more of Auggie's family; especially Austin. Auggie is going back 'home' for the first time in four years. What will the long Labor Day weekend hold for him this time?

My thanks to girlwithoutfear for her initial review of this work of fiction.

Disclaimer: I don't own Auggie.

* * *

Auggie woke slowly. One by one his senses came online. All but one. Although it had been years since he'd been able to see, some days the nothingness before him still startled him. This was one of those mornings. He took several deep breaths, inhaling the scents around him. The first aroma to hit him was the barely there perfume of the woman cradled in his arms. She smelled faintly of grapefruit. And of sex. The pungent aroma of their love-making the night before still hung around them. It had been oh so enjoyable. They no longer coupled in the mad frenzy of unbridled passion, but in the slow and satisfying way of a pair accustomed to each other and knowing the needs and desires of the other.

Annie stirred in his arms. Soon she had rolled toward him and kissed him gently.

"Morning gorgeous," he whispered, gently caressing her cheek, and brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Morning handsome," she whispered back at him. She pushed gently on his shoulder and Auggie rolled onto his back. Annie clambered on top of him and soon straddled his waist.

Auggie grasp her lightly around the waist and allowed his hands to travel upwards to cup her breasts. "Wasn't last night enough?"

"No comment, Mr. Anderson," Annie cooed coyly.

"We don't have time this morning, Ms. Walker. You do know what today is, don't you?"

"Yes. I do." Annie sighed and rolled back off Auggie, but not before leaning in and giving him another lingering kiss.

After he heard Annie wander into the bathroom, Auggie slipped out of bed and headed into the kitchen area. There he began the pot of coffee. He peeked around the corner into the bathroom and asked, "Do you want to eat breakfast here or grab something on the way to the airport?"

"I was thinking that we could grab a bite at the café so that there wouldn't be dirty dishes setting here while we're gone."

"Sounds good to me. I've started the coffee."

While Annie finished in the shower, and the coffee brewed, Auggie went back into the bedroom and began to pack. As he folded and tossed a pair of jeans into the open suitcase on the bed, he wondered why he'd let Annie talk him into going back to Glencoe for the Labor Day weekend.

##########

A long ninety minutes later, Annie and Auggie were winding their way to the airport security checkpoint. All Auggie had with him was his messenger bag with his laptop computer; Annie just had her purse and a tote bag with a few magazines in it. They'd left their bags in the care of the Skycap when they'd exited the car service vehicle Auggie had secured to take them to Dulles.

Five hours later a drained Annie led an equally frazzled Auggie up the ramp into the Delta concourse at O'Hare. Their first class seats hadn't isolated them from the crying baby and fussy toddler behind them in coach. Auggie wasn't sure about Annie, but he had a splitting headache. The Tylenol that he'd had Annie get for him on the layover in Detroit had barely fazed the pounding in his head. And sending Annie for the painkiller had almost made them miss their connecting flight on to Chicago.

"Annie, is there somewhere close that we can sit down for a minute?"

"Yeah," Annie said moving in a different direction for a few steps. "Here," she said placing his hand of the back of a seat. "What's wrong?"

"Just the headache. You got any of the water left?"

"Yeah. Here." She brushed the bottle against the back of his hand.

"Thanks. Now a couple more of those Tylenol?"

"It's not time yet, Auggie."

"I know, but I'm on the border of not being able to function here. I've got to try something," he pleaded. "I haven't had a headache this bad since I woke up in the field hospital after the IED," he relayed. "That one was worse, but this one is a close second."

Annie dug in her purse for the bottle and shook two capsules out and placed them in his hand. "Here. I'm doing this with reservation."

"I understand," he said. He swallowed the pills and then handed the now empty water bottle back to Annie.

A moment later, Annie was massaging his neck and shoulders from behind. "You're so tense that I could almost bounce a quarter off your shoulders. You've probably got a tension headache. You need to relax."

"I'll relax when I'm back in my own bed," he said and then smiled weakly.

Annie sighed. "C'mon. We're here, we might as well make the best of it," Annie said tugging on Auggie's hand.

He rose slowly from his seat and searched for Annie's arm. A few minutes later they were at the baggage claim area for their flight. The carousel was moving and full of bags when they arrived.

"I see our bags. Wait here a minute. I'll be right back."

"Annie," Auggie said quickly, but his words were apparently lost on her. He heard the slap of her sandals as she sprinted away from him. Once again he was standing alone at a baggage claim in O'Hare. The last time had been in this position had been four years ago. It had been Austin who'd left him there leaning on his cane; and he'd been blind all of five months. His cane – he reached down to his pocket. When it was empty he began to panic slightly. Annie had been his sighted guide since they'd left his apartment earlier that morning. But still, how could he have - ?

"Ah, the prodigal son returns," said the familiar voice of Austin Anderson. "Looks like you've lost something."

"Yeah, I have. Or at least I think I have," Auggie replied a bit sheepishly

"If it's that gorgeous blonde that you came over here with, it looks like she'll be back this way in just a few minutes."

"No, Austin. I haven't misplaced Annie. But something almost as important to me – my cane. I was distracted this morning when I left the apartment, and Annie's been ..."

"With a beautiful sighted guide like that, what do you need a cane for?" Austin said nudging Auggie in the arm. "You do know how pretty she is, don't you?"

"Yes, Austin, I do know just how physically striking she is. But she is beautiful to me on other levels that are, to me, so much more important than her looks."

"Auggie, who is this handsome gentleman who has been keeping you company while I fetched our bags?" Annie asked as she stopped in front of Auggie.

"Annie, meet my slightly older brother Austin. Austin meet my girlfriend Annie Walker."

"Nice to meet you, Annie."

"Nice to meet you, Austin."

"Annie, did you just kiss my brother?" Auggie asked with amusement.

"Just a peck on the cheek," Annie replied slipping her arm around his waist.

"Annie, which one of these bags is yours?" Austin asked a moment later.

"This one."

"I'll take that one then. Augs, you can handle your own. Annie's got her hands full enough with being your sighted guide. Let's get this train on the tracks," Austin said the final bit with amusement.

Annie brushed her hand against Auggie's and he took hold of her arm with one hand and then the handle of his suitcase with the other, his messenger bag was slung over his shoulder. As he stepped out to follow Austin and Annie, Auggie could only think of the last time he'd been home. He was hoping that this time would not be like the last.

* * *

What do you think? Do you want more? Next posting will be in a week from now if more is desired.


	2. Chapter 2

I had requests to post sooner than Sunday. I thought about it, and, since I had just finished and sent a chapter to my beta, I decided to post part 2 today. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I promise those who liked Austin in my previous work, there is more of him coming. You got to stay tuned to see what he gets Auggie to do. That was another fun chapter to write - hard, but fun.

My thanks to girlwithoutfear for looking this over and making some great suggestions and catching a few errors.

Disclaimer: I don't own Auggie. He belongs to the writers of 'Covert Affairs'. I don't even own the fabulous Christopher Gorham who plays Auggie to perfection. He's owned by the equally wonderful Anel Lopez-Gorham.

* * *

"You grew up here?" Auggie heard Annie gasp as Austin's SUV came to a stop.

"Yes, Annie," Austin chimed in, "this is where Augs and I grew up."

"The house and yard are just beautiful, Auggie," Annie gushed.

"If you say so, Annie. It's just home to me," Auggie replied matter-of-factly, while reaching for the door handle. He heard the hatch latch open as he exited from the car. A few moments later his hands were searching the area behind the back seat for his messenger bag and suitcase. Once he'd located his things and lifted Annie's from the back and handed it to her, he headed toward the back door of his boyhood home.

Once inside the kitchen, Auggie called out, "Mom? Dad? I'm home."

"They're not here right now, Augs. Mom had a doctor's appointment and Dad took her," Austin said as he patted Auggie on the arm. "Want me to take your things up to the guest room for you?"

"No, I can do that and show Annie up. Is anything wrong with Mom?" The faintest tinge of concern laced Auggie's words.

"Not that I know of Augs. Just a regular visit with her arthritis doctor she said." Austin didn't seem concerned for their mother at all. That set Auggie's mind at ease.

After telling Austin that he didn't need to stick around until their parents returned, Auggie easily maneuvered through the dining room, around the corner, and up the stairs to the first door on the right. Annie was right behind him the whole way; he heard her footfalls behind him on the wooden treads of the stairs. He also heard the oh's and ah's she uttered under her breath as she passed through the house. Intellectually he understood that he'd grown up in a home more privileged than most, but, like his blindness was now, it was just a part of who he was.

He took several strides into the room and his right foot collided with the footboard of the bed making him curse lightly under his breath.

"You okay?" Annie said from beside him.

"Yeah. Memory's a bit rusty is all. Thought the bed was another step farther into the room," Auggie replied as he examined the bedpost carved to resemble a pineapple; he pulled the messenger bag from his shoulder and hung it there. "Which drawers do you want? Or, are you just going to live out of your suitcase?"

"You unpack first and I'll take the drawers you don't use," Annie replied diplomatically. "How's your headache?"

"Better, but still there. Once I've unpacked I thought I'd lie down for a bit," he responded as he put the short stack of underwear in the top drawer of the dresser. Once his suitcase was empty and he'd slid it under the bed, he lay down. Auggie settled on his back, plump pillow under his head, into the soft mattress. Soon he felt some of the tension leave his body. He did not fall asleep, but allowed his mind to relax and think of pleasant things – thoughts of last evening with Annie brought a smile to his face.

He heard Annie quietly moving about the room, and then he felt the bed beside him depress slightly as she lay down beside him. Annie slid in close to him and he wrapped his arm around her pulling her in even closer. They lay like that, in comfortable silence, until sounds from downstairs heralded the arrival of Alfred and Abigail Anderson.

##########

Annie followed Auggie out the bedroom door and down the stairs. She marveled at how freely he seemed to move about in his parent's home and found it hard to believe that he'd not been here in four years.

As they entered the kitchen, Auggie opened his arms and said, "Mom?"

"I'm here, August." The attractive woman in her late sixties encircled Auggie with her arms and Annie could not miss the resemblance between mother and son. She was tall for a woman of her age, graying hair in a cute pixie cut, and sparking hazel eyes. Annie could not miss the love and admiration in her eyes for her youngest son. "It's so good to have you home again."

"I love you too, Mom," Auggie said and kissed the crown of her head. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Annie Walker. Annie, my mother, Abigail."

Mrs. Anderson pulled away from her son and extended her hand, "Annie, so nice to meet you," she said then flashed Annie a welcoming smile which lit up her whole face with genuine pleasure.

"Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Anderson." Annie took up the offered hand.

"Please, I'm Abigail or Abby."

"Or Mom," Auggie interjected. "You can always call her Mom like the rest of us."

"Or, you could call me, Mom," Abigail said. "I think I'd like that, too."

"Thank you … Mom," Annie said tentatively. She wasn't quite sure that she liked the idea of calling Auggie's mother 'Mom' quite yet.

"Where's Dad?"Auggie asked his mother.

"I'm right here, son," Alfred Anderson said, rising from the chair that he'd been sitting in at the table in the bay window while sipping on a glass of iced tea. He took a few steps to his son and gave him a bear hug. "I'm glad that you decided to try coming home again."

"You can thank Annie for that. She can be very persuasive," Auggie said with just the faintest hint of pride in his tone. "Annie come meet my father, Fred. Or, Dad."

"Nice to meet you, Fred," Annie said and extended her hand toward him, too.

Alfred Anderson broke the grip he had on his son and took a step toward Annie. He didn't take the offered hand but instead pulled Annie into a quick light hug. "So nice to finally meet the woman that can talk my son into doing something I know he doesn't really want to do."

"It wasn't all that hard of a sell," Annie said looking up at the man who stood a full head taller than her. Alfred Anderson wasn't quite as tall as his son, and he had a beefier build, but there was no denying that they were related. Like his wife, Alfred had salt-and-pepper brown hair worn short; and, like his son, he was well-built under the loose, dark blue Henley shirt he wore. He smelled faintly of sawdust. His wife had smelled of vanilla.

"Mom, what's for dinner? It's been a while since breakfast and I'm hungry. Maybe some of your good home cooking will make this headache go away."

"Sorry to disappoint, August, but it's a celebration; we're taking you and Annie out to dinner. We've got reservations at the country club."

"Do we look alright, Mom," Auggie asked with sudden alarm. "I told Annie that we wouldn't need dress clothes this weekend."

"They've relaxed the dress code a bit in the last few years. You both look fine," his mother replied quickly. "August, you could stand to run a comb through your hair before we do head over."

"Okay, Mom," Auggie said as he turned to head back upstairs.

Annie followed behind Auggie. She could tell by the way that he walked, and from the look on his face, that he was not exactly happy. She waited until they were back upstairs to gently question him. "What's wrong, Auggie? You don't seem too happy about going out to dinner," Annie said coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "And I think it's more than just missing your mom's cooking, which I take is pretty good."

"Yeah, Mom is a wonderful cook, but that's not it. It's … I haven't been to the club in years … since before … Let's just say it could get awkward for me. Encountering people who knew me from before …"

"I understand Auggie. I'm at your side the whole way. We can get through this."

"You'll have to be at my side, Annie. It seems that I've left something at home," he remarked with embarrassment. He hung his head and his eyes seemed to search the floor at his feet.

Annie unwound her arms from around Auggie and took a few steps to the table upon which she'd left her tote bag. She reached into it and withdrew Auggie's folded up cane. She moved over beside Auggie, who was searching in his shaving kit for his comb. She grasped and turned over the hand nearest to her. "Will this help make things less awkward?" she asked as she placed his cane in the palm of his hand.

He closed his fingers around the cane. "A little less, yes. How? Why?"

"I distracted you from your usual routine this morning. When I saw you walk by it I just came behind and picked it up and put it into my tote bag. Even though I figured I'd be guiding you a good bit of the time, I didn't think that you intended to leave it behind."

"Thanks for having my back, Annie. I love you." He placed his free hand on her shoulder and traced a line up her neck to her cheek; and then he leaned in and kissed her – gently, but with the promise of more to come later.

After freshening up a bit, Annie and Auggie headed back downstairs to join Abigail and Alfred Anderson. Half-an-hour later the foursome was seated in the dining room of the Lake Shore Country Club. A few minutes later Auggie's head lilted a bit to one side and he seemed to be listening intently to something.

"Are Adam and Olivia joining us?" Auggie asked.

"Why, yes they are. How did you know, August?" Abigail responded with surprise.

"Livie's in the foyer. She's talking to someone," he explained. He leaned over to Annie and whispered. "Adam's my eldest brother. Olivia, or Livie as she prefers, is his bride of nearly twenty years."

Annie whispered back, "He's the Oncologist?"

"Yeah, but we don't talk shop with him unless he brings it up first. Okay?"

"Got it. When they're seated there'll still be two other seats available. Any idea of who else might be coming?"

"We're at the 8-round? I knew we were at one of the round tables, but thought it was one of the 6-rounds. I have no idea who else is coming. I'll be hoping for Austin and Jenna, but with my luck it will be Anthony and Jessica."

"Why don't you want it to be Anthony and Jessica?"

"All my brothers picked on me, but Tony was just plain mean to me. He still is."

Out of the corner of her eye Annie noticed Alfred Anderson rise from his seat. He quietly hugged a tall, red haired beauty with alabaster skin and lively green eyes. Then she approached her and Auggie.

"Auggie," she said as she took a step forward.

Auggie quickly rose to his feet and offered his hand. "Livie! You taking to sneaking up on people now? I didn't hear you coming."

"Just the ones who haven't been home in a while," Olivia said pulling Auggie into a hug. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you and Adam, too. Where is Adam?"

"He was parking the car. But he might be talking to the golf pro in the foyer."

"He always was trying to improve his game. Has he actually gotten any better than the last time we played?"

"You used to play golf?" Annie asked touching his arm.

"Used to do a lot of things I don't have the time to do anymore. Didn't really have much of a game, but I'd play at it when I came home and Dad and the boys would rope me into coming with them. Broke a 100 once on the front 9." He added the last with a touch of mirth.

"Auggie, dear, are you ever going to introduce me to the lovely lady beside you?"

"Duh, where are my manners? Olivia Anderson meet my girlfriend Annie Walker. Annie, my favorite sister-in-law, Livie."

"Nice to finally meet the woman that can drag Auggie back here for the Labor Day get-together." Olivia leaned down and wrapped her arms around Annie's shoulders.

"I've had to work the last few Labor Days, Olivia. National Security doesn't always get to take a day off," Auggie said defensively.

"I know you're the head honcho in the IT department at the Pentagon, but can't you assign someone else to the holiday weekends a little more often?" Abigail admonished.

Auggie took his seat and said, "I'll try, Mom, but I can't promise that I'll be able to do that. When stuff breaks down someone's got to be there to fix it." Auggie was starting to get agitated.

Annie touched his forearm to try to calm him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Some of the tension left his features. She glanced around the table and saw nonplussed looks on all but Olivia who had taken the seat on the other side of Auggie. She too had a hand on Auggie's arm and concern on her face. A set of hands came in and rested themselves on Auggie's shoulders making him startle a bit.

"I'm glad you made it home this weekend," said the booming voice of the owner of the hands.

Annie looked up to see a younger version of Alfred Anderson. She could only assume that it was Adam; Auggie's oldest brother and husband of Olivia.

"I'm beginning to see the error of my ways, Adam," Auggie said sarcastically. "Annie, my doctor brother and husband to the fetching Olivia, Adam."

"Annie," Adam said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, before slipping away to take the seat beside his wife.

Auggie leaned back over to Annie and whispered, "Annie, did you bring those Tylenol with you? I'm going to need another round of them before too long I fear."

"Yeah, I brought them," she whispered back. "Your headache getting worse?"

"Uh-huh. I knew this was a bad idea."

"What's a bad idea?" Austin came up behind Auggie and leaned in between the whispering couple.

"God, Austin, you scared the shit outta me. Where did you come from?" Auggie whispered back angrily.

"Like I asked, what's a bad idea?" Austin asked patting his brother on the shoulder.

"Coming here. Are you going to gang up on me now, too?"

"No. If I didn't live here, I'm not sure that I'd come either," Austin replied with a smile, but Annie could tell by the look on his face that he didn't really mean what he'd said. "Annie, this is my wife Jenna." Austin stood straight and said the last bit in a normal tone of voice.

If Adam was the clone of his father, Austin the spitting image of his youngest brother, only as a blonde and a bit stockier. He wife, Jenna, was as petite as he was tall; as dark haired as he was blonde; and her face that of an angel.

Jenna flashed Annie a welcoming smile. Annie smiled back while taking in the woman. After a quick survey of the other three women at the table, she felt completely underdressed for the setting. The other women looked as if they'd just stepped out of the pages of Vogue; Annie felt as if she'd stepped out of an ad for Target.

For all her social discomfort, Annie enjoyed the evening spent with Auggie's family. For all of the wealth that was obviously gathered around the table, they were down-to-earth people; people who were overjoyed to have their son and brother amongst them again. Tall tales had been told, mostly about the antics of a young Auggie. Adam relayed one of a six-year-old Auggie who, on a dare from the missing brother Anthony, had climbed to the top of the 100-foot tall tree in the front yard. Abigail had been beside herself when she'd discovered Auggie in the tree and had called the fire department to get him down. All had had a good laugh about that incident, including Auggie. He told of how he'd gotten back at Anthony by emptying a can of his father's shaving cream into Tony's favorite pair of high-topped sneakers. Annie thoroughly enjoyed the tales of her Auggie's childhood. Her respect and admiration of him had only grown as his family had told of his exploits. Yes, he had been embarrassed more than once, but he'd handled even those tales good-naturedly.

By the time that they'd gotten back to the house, Auggie's headache had almost left him. Maybe it had been because of the excellent food, the copious amount of wine, or the uproarious laughter, but Auggie had not asked for any more Tylenol all evening. The fact of the matter was that he was feeling no pain by the time that they'd left the dining room. Oh, for sure he'd been far more inebriated on many occasions, but tonight Annie was surprised at his even getting tipsy. She would have thought that he'd have been on his best behavior given his reluctance to come to the country club in the first place.

But then there had been that one small incident with one of his father's friends. The younger man had stopped by the table on the way to his own and had inquired who the unfamiliar faces were at the table. Alfred had explained that they were his youngest son and his girlfriend just in from DC. The man had then asked if this was the son that they didn't talk about much because he never came home. Alfred had reluctantly admitted that it was, but that he wasn't talked about much because he worked at the Pentagon and much of what he worked on was classified.

Even though he had tried to cover it, she'd seen the pain on Auggie's face at the admission, no matter how reluctant it might have been. It hadn't taken him long to recover and put on a happier disposition. But he had started in on the wine a bit heavier after that. She didn't want to think what she was thinking about Auggie's parents – that they were embarrassed by their son's blindness. But, she had to admit, the thought did cross her mind. No, that wasn't it; there were too many looks of love and admiration for that to be true. It had to be just the fact that Auggie didn't give them much to talk about. Yes, that was it. It had to be that.

* * *

Well, what do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to girlwithoutfear for he corrections and suggestions.

Disclaimer: Don't own Auggie or Annie; just the idea for this story.

* * *

Auggie woke early. He slowly rose from the bed so as not to disturb Annie. Quietly he removed his sleep pants and pulled on a pair of fresh underwear and jean shorts from the second drawer. He tiptoed to the door, opened it and slipped out. Padding quietly, he worked his way through the house and out to the backyard.

Once he'd located the arbor swing he sat down and set it into motion. In the far distance a train whistle sounded forlornly; closer in a dog howled mournfully. The gentle back and forth motion of the swing calmed him as it always had. He thought back to one of the last times he'd sat in the swing. He'd been upset and confused then, too. He thought that four years would have changed things. Apparently they had not. He'd had the feeling then that he was an embarrassment to his family. Four years had not made much difference. That was part of the reason that he'd stayed away.

The French door from the family room onto the deck opened and closed. Auggie cocked his head and listened, but didn't really hear anything until she was nearly upon him. "Annie, what gets you up so early?"

"May I join you on the swing?"

"Sure," he said scooting over a bit to give her room.

"I rolled over to cuddle and there was no one to cuddle with," Annie said as she settled onto the swing. "What's wrong?"

"Who says anything's wrong?"

"You forget who you're talking to," she said placing a hand on top of his thigh. "Spill."

Auggie thought for a moment and then decided to come clean with Annie. "Coming here this weekend was a bad idea. I'm a disappointment and an embarrassment to my family. Still. I wished I'd stayed home where I could delude myself into thinking otherwise." He stared straight ahead.

"Auggie! You of all people should know better than that, don't let words alone color your impression. Tone of voice is more telling. Have you forgotten your training?"

"What do you mean, Annie?" He cocked his head toward her in puzzlement.

"I think that you're dwelling on that one comment from last evening when your dad introduced us to that friend of his who stopped by the table; when your dad had to admit that he didn't talk about you too much. Aren't you?"

Auggie shrugged his shoulders, but didn't alter his gaze.

"Auggie, you are so wrong about this. I'm sorry that you can't see the looks of love and pride in your mother's eyes when she looks at you. The same look is in your father's eyes, too. It's harder to see in his, but it's there. Auggie, they love you. And they're proud of you. Believe me, Honey."

"When they spoke of me last night, they only spoke of the sighted me," he lamented.

"Auggie, they don't really know the blind you that well, now do they?" Annie countered.

"Everyone but Anthony has been out to DC to see me, so yes, they have been around me since I've been blind," he stated.

"But you haven't been HERE, at their home; where you grew up, hardly at all. There's a difference, Auggie."

Auggie sighed deeply. "Since I can't see these looks you say they're giving me, I'll have to take your word for it." He smiled weakly. "Annie, this is going to sound strange to you, but right now I am feeling very … blind. This may be my boyhood home, I may seem to know my way around here – just like back in my apartment – but I'm just a little out of my comfort zone."

"I know, Auggie. You've been moving just a little bit tentatively, but only someone who really knows you well would notice," Annie said as she slipped off the swing to stand in front of him. She took his face in her hands and looked into his sightless eyes. "Auggie, I love you, everyone at the table last night loves you. You are loved; you are wanted; you are not an embarrassment to anyone. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Annie. I hear you," he smiled at her. He didn't quite believe her, but he did consider her words. He wanted to believe her, but there was a part of him that couldn't. Not yet, anyway.

She tilted her head a bit and kissed him full on the mouth greedily and passionately. He returned the kiss just as greedily and just as passionately.

The French door opened and closed again. Annie broke the kiss.

"Mornin', kids," Alfred Anderson said as he sat in one of the wrought aluminum chairs at the round table on the deck. "Auggie, your mother wants to know how much breakfast you'd like."

"After that meal last night, not much," Auggie replied. "Maybe some scrambled eggs, toast and maybe some fresh melon. Is the coffee ready yet?"

"It'll be ready in a few minutes. I just put the pot on before I came out."

Auggie broke free of Annie's warm embrace and rose from the swing. With purposeful strides he crossed the patio, counting his steps in his head. When he'd taken the correct number of strides he reached out and was rewarded with the handrail. With a bit more air of confidence than he actually felt, he mounted the five steps to the deck surface. Then he followed the railing a few feet to the right, until his left leg collided with a deck chair. He quickly assessed it and sat down.

"You okay, son?" his father asked from his right.

"Yeah, I bump into things all the time. Especially if I'm not 100% sure where they are," Auggie replied a bit sheepishly. "Comes with the territory."

"Good Morning, Mr. Anderson," Annie said as she settled into the seat to Auggie's left. Auggie slid his hand towards her and she placed hers into it.

The door from the family room onto the deck opened again. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted out and came closer. The sound of a tray with earthenware mugs on it soon reached Auggie's ears.

"How do you want your coffee, August?" his mother asked.

"Black is fine," he replied. Soon the sound of a mug being set down before him reached his ears.

"11 o'clock," Abigail stated.

"Thanks, Mom," Auggie said as he let go of Annie's hand and located his coffee. He picked his mug up with both hands and held it under his nose for a second before taking a sip. Inhaling the aroma deeply, he sighed with pleasure.

"Son, when I asked if you were all right I didn't mean from bumping into the chair. The last time you were here you were up early because of a troubling dream."

"I'm fine there, too, Dad. I can barely remember the last time I had one of those. Mother Nature woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came out here so I wouldn't wake Annie with my tossing and turning."

"Liar," Annie said softly.

"Am not, Annie."

"You're not telling the whole truth, buster. You were tossing and turning because your brain was trying to make a mountain out of the proverbial molehill over some perceived slight last night."

"Annie, don't go there," Auggie pleaded.

"It's too late, son," Abigail stated. "What did someone say or do, that makes you feel slighted August?"

"Nothing, Mom," Auggie said shooting Annie his best glare.

"Annie, will you please tell us what has August upset?"

"Auggie, are you going to tell them? Or do I? I just want this settled before it screws up your whole weekend."

"You started it. You can finish it," Auggie muttered with finality.

"Okay, but listen carefully. I want you to know what I know." Annie reached for Auggie's hand, but as soon as she touched it he withdrew it from her reach. "Last evening when you introduced us to your friend, Mr. Anderson, you admitted that you didn't speak often of Auggie. He thinks that's because you're embarrassed to admit that you have a blind son."

"August David Anderson, how could you even think such a thing!" Abigail Anderson almost shouted her indignation.

"August, you should know better than that," Alfred Anderson echoed his wife's righteous anger. "Yes, there are a few people to whom we do not speak of you often. Some things some people just don't need to know. Ira Levine is one of those people. Oh, and he knows that I have a blind son. Every one of our friends, our real friends, knows that you are blind and why. In an odd way we are very proud that you can't tell us much about what you do at the Pentagon. The problem we have is in coming up with excuses for why you haven't been home at all in the last four years. I hope that it's not because you didn't feel welcomed here."

"No, Dad. Air travel these days isn't easy on anyone, but it's just a bit less easy on me. I hate having to rely on someone I don't know and fully trust to get me to and from a plane. It wasn't easy yesterday, but I had Annie with me. She understands me, and I trust her implicitly. If she hadn't agreed to come with me, I wouldn't be here now either."

"See?" Annie whispered to Auggie. "Do you believe me now?"

For being so angry with Annie three minutes before, Auggie had nothing but love in his heart for her now. "Yes, Annie. I believe you." Not wanting to give Annie license to do something like this again, he didn't add the 'thank you' he wanted to.

A few hours later, after being fed, showered and sufficiently caffeinated, Auggie was once again sitting on the swing in the back yard with Annie curled up into his side and with his arm around her. He hated to admit it, but he was totally content. The slight ill-will that he'd harbored toward his parents had all but vanished. But best of all, for a few days he was beyond the reach of work. He hadn't realized it, but he really did need some down time.

The back door from the family room opened and closed again. Shortly Abigail Anderson whispered in Auggie's ear. "This has been going off every few minutes. It keeps saying 'Joan'." She placed his cell phone in his hand.

He first groaned, and then chuckled. "It's okay, Mom. Annie knows about Joan." The phone in his hand began to warble again. He answered the call, "Anderson. … No, Joan. I'm not jumping on a plane and coming back to DC. … Yes, Joan. I understand, but either Stu or Eric is perfectly capable of dealing with that. … Yes, Joan. I'll keep my phone handy. … Good-bye Joan."

Annie leaned in and teased, "I take it that was Joan."

"Yes, Ms. State-the-Obvious. What gave it away?" They laughed with each other.

"I take it something broke and someone wants you to come back to DC to fix it."

"Yeah, Mom. Something broke and the first person they think of to come fix it is me. They'll just have to deal for the weekend. Maybe they'll appreciate me more when I do get back there on Wednesday."

"My son the fixer," Abigail said as she patted Auggie on the shoulder. "I'll leave the two of you alone again now. You two just seem so comfortable together."

As soon as Auggie's mother was out of earshot, Annie whispered, "What did Joan want? Do I need to go get my phone to field her call, too?"

"No, I don't think that's necessary, Annie. One of the communication feeds is acting wonky. Nothing that Eric or Stu can't handle in a few hours. Joan knows that. I think she was just checking up on me. She did ask if you were with me. That's when I said good-bye. She told me if you were here, too, to say that and hang up. I don't think you have to worry about getting a call."

They sat in companionable silence for another few minutes when the family room door opened and closed again.

Auggie sighed in frustration at the sound. "What is this, freaking Grand Central Station?"

"It's Austin," Annie remarked.

"Austin, what brings you here this morning?"

"Tee time. Mom's going to watch the girls while Jenna and I play a round. Thought that maybe you and Annie would like to come and play the round with us."

"Austin, you know that I haven't played in years, and I'm at a slight disadvantage here," Auggie grumbled.

"Maybe not as much as you think, Augs. I've gotten pretty good at the game, and I'll be setting up your shots for you. I did some research on how to help you golf again. There are two blind or severely visually impaired golfers at the club. I've played behind them a couple of times. They both actually have pretty good games. But their game is more in the hands of their sighted guide. C'mon Augs, come with us."

"I don't have clubs," Auggie pointed out.

"I brought an older set of mine for you. We're about the same height so my clubs will work just fine for you. Annie's about the same height as Jenna, and I brought a set of Jenna's for her, too."

"Austin, I've never played anything but miniature golf before," Annie interjected.

"I prepared for that, too, Annie. If you decide to give it a try, Jenna and I will coach you much that same as I'll be coaching Augs. What say you Augs?"

Auggie thought for a few moments. Back in rehab he'd been told about the sports that he could still enjoy with some small adaptations, golf being one of them, but he'd not had the drive, or opportunity, to partake of any of them. He'd allowed work to take over his life. Sometimes he regretted that.

Finally he said, "Oh, hell, Austin. Just don't let me make a total fool of myself." Auggie rose from his seat on the swing. "Coming Annie?" He extended a hand in Annie's direction, a tentative smile plastered across his features.

"I'm game if you are, Auggie," Annie said as she grabbed Auggie's hand.

* * *

The muse could use a comment or two. I love all of the story and author alerts, but I'd really like to know what you enjoy about this tall tale.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to girlwithoutfear for her editing and another friend, MimaBear for her patience in fact checking the golfing angles. The course says it's the Lake Shore Country Club in Glencoe, IL. I actually used an online tour of the Glencoe Golf Course in Glencoe, IL as the pattern for the holes mentioned in this fiction. Now my gf Mima wants to make a road trip from Lansing, MI to Glencoe to play the Glencoe Golf Club course.

I hope this chapter is not a total snooze for you dear reader. I had a ball writing it, though. And MimaBear gave it a two thumbs up.

Disclaimer: I have nothing but a viewers interest in Covert Affairs and Auggie.

* * *

"Okay, Augs. You're all set up," Austin said as he took his hands from Auggie's forearms and stepped back. "Now whack it a good one. If you don't slice or hook it, you should end up with a good set-up to the green.

"You're sure about this, Austin?"

"Absolutely."

Auggie raised the club and shifted his weight to his right foot. _Here goes nothing_, he thought as he swung at the ball somewhere at his feet. He didn't like the feel of his follow-thru, but the thwack of the club head on the ball sounded solid.

"Wow!" Austin exclaimed a few moments later. "Beautiful shot, Augs. Just beautiful. You sure you haven't played in a while?"

"I'm positive, Austin," Auggie said modestly, but he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Best lie of the bunch so far," Austin admitted. "Okay, Annie. Let's see what you can do."

Auggie listened as Annie sighed in resignation, and moved toward the tee. He chuckled a bit under his breath as Jenna adjusted Annie's stance over the ball. He did not laugh when he heard Annie's shot; she'd gotten a good solid hit on the ball. Now if she'd just sent it straight as an arrow down the fairway.

"Oh, good shot, Annie. You sure you've never played before?" Jenna squealed with delight.

"Just miniature golf a couple of times," Annie admitted. "I was pretty good at that. Hopefully I'll be just as good if I ever get to the green."

"Some people are just naturals," Auggie said with a bit of admiration to Annie. As she walked past him, Auggie grasped Annie's arm and let her lead him to the golf cart; a few minutes later the two women were walking towards their balls on the fairway. While they waited for the women to finish with their shots, Austin did his best to describe the scene to Auggie. "That Annie of yours seems to catch on to things quickly," Austin said at the end of his description.

"Yeah. She does. She got me right off." Auggie grinned broadly. He was slightly disappointed that Austin did not laugh at his attempt at a joke.

As soon as the ladies had taken their swings, Austin led Auggie toward their balls on the fairway.

"I'll set you up first, Augs. You're about 180 feet to the pin. Do you want a 5-wood or a 2-iron?"

Auggie sighed slightly and thought the choices over. "Have they reconfigured the course in the last five years?"

"No, same as it's always been."

"I'll take the iron," Auggie said holding out his hand. He examined the offered club and let Austin position him over the ball. After Austin had stepped away, Auggie took his swing at the ball he could not see. He knew that his shot was good; it felt so right, so good. All he could hope was that Austin had positioned him for a good shot. In the last four years he'd had to learn how, and whom, to trust. It hadn't been easy, but sometimes, like now, he just had to trust those around him.

"Good shot, Augs," Austin exclaimed while slapping him on the back. "You're a little bit farther to the right of the flag than I thought you'd be, but it was a good clean shot. By that last 9 we'll have you playing just as good as me."

"Ah, so you're using me as a guinea pig for your shots, huh?" Auggie said as he took hold of Austin's arm. He was laughing quietly at the thought of being Austin's experimental shot.

"Maybe a little, but mostly I want this to be a good experience for you, Augs."

"Thanks Austin, but two shots don't make a game. Ask me if I'm having fun after I try putting. That always was my downfall. I never have been able to read the damn greens." He chuckled a self-depreciating laugh. "Is this hole still a par 4?"

"Yeah, it's still a par 4. I usually bogey it; if not double bogey. It's still a tricky green. Never seems to plays the same way twice. I'm going to let you stand here for a minute while I take my shot then we'll go to the cart."

Auggie stood quietly while Austin took his shot. A few moments later he heard a muffled curse.

"I take it that wasn't the shot you were hoping for?"

"No, it wasn't." Austin's words were clipped. He touched the back of Auggie's hand. "I over corrected from how I had you positioned. I'm as far left of the flag as you are right," Austin admitted as he and Auggie walked back toward the cart path.

A few minutes later the foursome was on the green. It was hard to tell exactly who was closest to the hole and no one's ball was between the cup and another ball. The guys decided to let the ladies go first. Jenna putted first, then Annie. Then Austin helped Auggie get set up for his putt.

"Okay, Augs, it's about 30 feet and just slightly uphill. Don't know what to tell you about a break. Just have a go at it. Jenna, rattle the flag in the cup."

Auggie listened closely, and then shifted his stance slightly. He gave the ball a good solid push.

"Not quite enough oomph on that one; you're now about 10 feet from the cup," Austin said as he approached Auggie. "Here, Annie, I'll turn Augs here over to you while I make my attempt to get the ball into the cup."

"How's it going, Auggie. You're looking pretty impressive out there. Just like you knew what you were doing."

"I've played before, yes. In high school and college I used to be pretty fair." He paused for a moment and shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I was mostly joking about not being much of a golfer. It's not a game that I have to play to be fulfilled as a person, but I used to enjoy hitting the balls. Sometimes when I was pissed I'd come out to the driving range and whack the heck out of a bucket or two of balls. But it feels good to be out here again today."

Soon they had finished the hole. Annie scored a respectable 7; Jenna a disappointing 6; and both Auggie and Austin took their 5's with grace. For the next several hours all played decent games, even on the challenging par 3 7th hole where Auggie, with Austin's guidance, managed a par. Even Annie the novice, managed to keep from making horrible plays. She listened to Jenna, and, like Austin did with Auggie, allowed Jenna to position her for the shots. She, at least, kept the ball on the fairway and not in the native prairie grass rough.

On the short par 3 12th hole the ladies both made it onto the green, Annie barely so, but she didn't go into the water; then Austin set Auggie up.

"Okay, Augs, I've got you set up as best I can. Here's an 8-iron. You'll need to hit it heavy and try to put some backspin on it. I don't have to tell you what you're up against on this hole. Good luck, bro."

Auggie knew all too well what this hole held in store for him. He'd lost more than one ball in the water or had to get out of one of the bunkers surrounding the green. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and swung. It was a good solid hit, that he could tell, but when he heard gasps from Austin and Jenna, he knew he was in trouble. "How bad is it? I hope I'm not in the water."

"Augs, I can only hope to hit a ball like that. It's un-freakin'-believable! You've got what every golfer dreams of – a freakin' hole-in-one!"

"Don't do that, Austin. Don't tell the blind guy who just hit a ball into the water, that he made a hole-in-one so you don't have to help him fish that damn ball out of the water. That's not nice." Anger was beginning to rise in Auggie. This was a damn cruel joke to play on him.

"Auggie," Annie said as she placed a hand on his forearm, "he's not lying to you. I saw it with my own eyes. You hit the ball about 10 feet past the flag and it rolled back and right into the cup. You know that I'd never lie to you, don't you?"

"Yes, Annie, I know that you'd never lie to me." He turned towards her. "A freaking hole-in-one?" Excitement grew in Auggie and he began to tremble ever so slightly with it.

"Yes, Auggie. A hole-in-one." There was evenness and truth in Annie's voice.

Auggie believed her. Mentally he puffed out his chest with pride. He grabbed Annie around the waist and swung her around in his joy. For sure he'd birdied his far share of holes, even had a couple of eagles on long par holes, but a hole-in-one had been beyond his wildest dreams. What a story that would be for his dad to tell his cronies in the clubhouse. He was happy now, both for himself and for his father.

"I can just see the headlines now," Jenna said, "Blind Golfer Hits Hole-in-one on Tricky 12th Hole of Lake Shore Country Club Course." Auggie just knew that Jenna was gesturing at every word in her title.

"Augs move out the way and let me take my shot. My luck I'll be the one in the water now."

An hour later they were teeing off on the final hole, a long par 5. All were in good shape until their third shots onto the green; Annie and Jenna made it easily. Auggie, still stoked from his hole-in-one a few holes earlier didn't like his lie. He knew the hole well; it had always been his nemesis. Austin set him up and handed him a club.

"You've got a strong 100 feet to the flag," Austin said as he placed a club in Auggie's hand.

As he had with every shot, Auggie examined the club he was given. "Austin, this is a 9-iron. I need a wedge for this one."

"I use the 9-iron for shots like these."

"I've not questioned your club choice for me before, because you've handed me the club that I'd use for the shot you described. But … this time I'd like a wedge," Auggie said firmly.

"You're questioning my club choice?"

"Yes, this time I am. Now give me the damn wedge."

Austin sighed defeatedly and dug in the bag and handed Auggie the wedge.

Again Auggie examined the club. It was the requested wedge. "Thank you, Austin. Am I still pointed in the right direction?"

"Yes, Augs, you're still in position."

Auggie grasped the club and took his swing. It felt good. The exasperated huff and mumbled curse told him that it was good.

"Okay, smartass. Your choice of club was better than mine. Stop gloating," Austin said with resignation.

Together he and Auggie walked back to the cart where the girls were waiting for them. They managed to finish off the course without anymore discourse. Auggie finished the par 71 course with, for him, a very respectable 103, Annie with a great novice score of 114; Jenna and Austin both had scores below 100.

As Auggie sat at one of the tables in the shade outside of the dining room, he heard someone approaching. The footfalls stopped before him, but they were not those of Annie, Jenna or Austin who had gone in to get some refreshments from the bar.

"I'm sorry sir, but I do not recognize you. Are you a member here?" the deep male voice said with authority.

"No, I'm not, but I just played a round with a member – Austin Anderson. And my father is a member here, too," Auggie said evenly. He knew the rules: non-members can play as long as they were accompanied by a member. "And I used to be a member a few years back."

"Ah, that makes sense now. Your face was familiar, but I wasn't coming up with a name. I'm Bob Koschmann, the teaching pro here."

"August Anderson," Auggie said as he stood and extended his right hand. After an awkward moment it was firmly grasped.

"You're the one who …"

"Lives out of town and doesn't get here too often," Auggie finished.

"That's not quite what I was going to say…"

"I know what you were going to say, And, yes, I am," Auggie said as he sat back down. "Care to have a seat for a minute before Austin gets back with our drinks?"

"Thanks, but no. Are those the rounds score cards?"

"Probably."

"May I take a look at them?"

"Sure," Auggie said shrugging his shoulders. Didn't matter to him; everyone's score was decent. Not spectacular, but decent. In fact, his was the best he'd ever done on this course. He was actually quite proud of it.

"Wow, someone aced 12?"

"That would be me. Or so they tell me," Auggie said with pride. "I still think that it landed in the water and no one had the heart to tell me that."

"Augs, your ball did not land in the water. Hey, Bob," Austin said as he set a couple of bottles on the table.

"Where's Annie and Jenna?"

"In the ladies room; they'll be out in a few minutes. At least that's what Jenna said."

"August, can I come back with the camera in a few minutes and take a picture of you and your score card? I'd like to post it on our 'Hall of Fame' board."

"Yeah, I guess. But Austin's got to be in the picture, too. I never could have made that shot if he hadn't set me up so well."

"I'll be back in a few with the camera." Bob said as he walked away.

"Looks like Jenna might get her headline after all."At least now he had something to talk about over dinner.

* * *

Comments? Like I said before, I hope it wasn't a total snooze. As soon as I get a chapter back from my very busy beta, I'll post the next one. Probably 4-5 days, I hope.


	5. Chapter 5

A nice little chapter, I think.

Thanks to girlwithoutfear for her comments and suggestions.

Discalaimer: Don't own Auggie. Or Annie. If I did own Auggie, I'd be Annie for darn sure.

* * *

Auggie was tired when they got back to his parent's house, but it was a good sort of tired. He had had a very pleasant day with Annie, Jenna and Austin and he was in a very good mood; one he didn't think that anything could change. He was wrong.

Going through the kitchen into the family room where he heard the TV blaring, Auggie walked with ease and confidence. He'd made the journey from kitchen to back deck several times already that day. He knew that to his right was the TV area with the sofa, side chairs, a couple of strategically placed end tables, a coffee table and the entertainment center; to his left was where the octagonal game table was with its eight chairs and pendant light. The area between the opening from the kitchen and the French doors to the deck had always been left free of furniture.

The TV was playing a kiddie DVD, but no one seemed to be in the room. Auggie was sure that if either of his parents were in the room they'd say something to him. Annie had gone upstairs to freshen up; Austin and Jenna were still outside by their SUV. At the moment, all that Auggie wanted to do was lay back in one of the recliners and rest for a few minutes. No sooner had he started to take his second stride into the room, than his foot caught on something – a something that hadn't been there that morning – and he went sprawling onto the tiled floor. His shoulder came into contact with the plant stand beside the door and it came crashing to the floor shattering the ceramic pot upon it.

As he was in mid-sprawl, Auggie heard horrified voices from the kitchen, and running feet.

"Augs, are you all right?" Austin cried out.

"Oh, Auggie," Jenna squeaked.

"Yeah, I think so," Auggie said as he pushed himself into a seated position. He rolled his shoulders, and made circles with his ankles. He seemed to be okay; just pissed. "What the hell did I trip over?"

"Looks to be the doll house that Dad made for the girls," Jenna said as she knelt beside Auggie. "You're bleeding a little there on the side of your forehead. … Austin get me a wet washcloth, please. And the first aid kit, too."

"I'm okay, Jenna," Auggie said as he tried to shake off Jenna's ministering hands. He rose to his feet. A pain in his left knee caused him to wince a bit.

"You're hurt?" Austin said as he came back into the room. "Sit here for a minute while Jenna tends to you." He placed Auggie's hand on the back of one of the game table chairs.

With resignation Auggie pulled out the chair and sat. He was now feeling the throbbing in his right temple. He pushed his hair back on the right side and asked, "Is this where I'm bleeding?"

"Yup, gonna have a goose egg there I'm afraid. Austin, see if Mom has a bag of peas in the freezer."

Austin was back in a few moments and brushed something cold against the back of Auggie's left hand.

Jenna had finished dabbing the sensitive area on his temple when the French doors opened. "Girls, pick up your toys here in this room. Your Mom and Dad, and your Uncle Auggie will be here so— what the heck happened here?" Abigail Anderson exclaimed as she closed the door behind the children.

"I tripped over something and took a header, Mom," Auggie stated matter-of-factly. "Sorry about the pot and the plant. Hope it wasn't too expensive."

"Pot was just something that I picked up on clearance at the Home Depot a few years ago. The plant was an old silk one that was beginning to see better days. Summer, go get me the broom and dustpan; you know where they are."

"Yes, Nana," said a small voice somewhere in front of Auggie.

"I'm sorry that you tripped, August. We were just coming in to pick things up. I guess I misjudged how long it would take the four of you to play a round."

"It's okay, Mom. I knew the girls were here, I should have known that they'd have toys scattered around and moved more cautiously. It's not the first bump I've had, and it won't be the last. I'm fine, Mom."

Abigail moved the hand holding the bag of peas to her son's head. "You've had worse bumps than that one, too." She placed the makeshift cold pack back on the bump.

A while later, after toys had been picked up and the offending dollhouse shifted to an out-of-the-way place on the deck, Auggie was seriously relaxing with a bottle of beer in one of the recliners listening to a baseball game on the TV with Austin and his Dad. The bump on his head had stopped throbbing a while ago. The women were in the kitchen fixing supper. At first, Abigail and Jenna had resisted Annie's desire to help out, but once Annie had asked to be treated like family this weekend the other women had graciously accepted her help.

"Read this book to me," said the little girl crawling up into Auggie's lap and settling herself in the crook of his arm. She placed the paperbacked book on his chest. "Read," she insisted.

"Which one are you?" Auggie asked.

"Gracie," the tiny voice said indignantly. Auggie furrowed his brow.

"We all call Autumn Grace Gracie," Austin explained. "Come here, honey. Uncle Auggie can't read to you right now. But I will."

"Read," the little girl pushed on the book on her uncle's chest.

"Go have PopPop or Daddy read to you Gracie. I can't read that kind of book. My eyes are broken," Auggie said with a sad finality as he lifted the small child from his lap. He pushed the footrest back and rose from the seat. He had to pee, but that wasn't the only reason that he was leaving the room. As adjusted to being blind as he normally was, there were times when his shortcomings came up and smacked him full in the face. Some days being blind was just the inconvenience that his mobility instructor Marissa had told him it would be four years earlier. Today was turning into one of those days when being blind was more than just an inconvenience; it was a damn pain in the ass.

He crossed the kitchen to the downstairs bathroom. Once he'd relieved himself and washed up, he went out onto the porch by the back door and sat on the bench there. No sooner had he settled on to the wooden bench than the encrypted phone in his pocket began to chime. He dug it out and answered it.

"Yes, Stu. What do you need?" He sounded a bit more curt than he intended to, but, at the moment, didn't care how he came across to his subordinate.

"Sorry, Auggie, but I think that we may have a bigger problem than just a wonky com feed. It's beginning to look like it's gone wonky because it's been hacked. There's code in there that doesn't need to be and that doesn't make any sense to me. Do you have access to a secure computer? I'd like to send you the questionable section of code so that you can see what I mean?" The voice on the other end of the conversation sounded concerned. More concerned than Auggie had ever heard him before. And, like a good CIA analysts, Stu did not rattle easily.

"Have you informed Joan of your suspicions?"

"Yeah, and she authorized me to contact you with it."

"I brought my laptop and a refreshable display, but I'm not sure if I can use my parent's internet service without creating a lot of questions that I'd rather not have to answer. Shoot it to me and I'll see what I can do from here."

"Okay, boss. I'll send it in a few to you."

Auggie flipped his phone closed and headed back into the house. Just as he entered the mudroom Annie stopped him.

"Pizzas are ready. I was coming to get you."

"Not right now. I've got to get to my laptop and see if I can get hooked into Dad's internet. Joan wants me to look at something that Stu found while trying to fix that wonky com feed."

"No. Right now we are going to sit down and have your mother's homemade pizza and drink a beer. Then you can go do that. I doubt that the world will come to an end while we have supper. C'mon."

"But, I …"

"But nothing. You haven't spent time with your family in a long time. Stu and Joan will understand." She took his hand.

Auggie sighed with resignation and followed Annie into the dining room. He knew that Annie was right. Meals together had always been important to his mother and father; he could look at the code later. That com feed was shut down. Actually looking at the code could probably wait until Wednesday when he was back from his mini-vacation. But then, if that feed had been hacked, the other feeds might have been also.

Over an hour later Auggie was finally able to slip away up to the room to get his messenger bag with his computer and refreshable Braille display. He brought it down to the first floor and slipped into his father's study. He sat in the desk chair and felt around on the desktop for his father's laptop. When he located it, he felt sides and back for the Ethernet cable. When he found none, he cursed silently. When had his parents gone to Wi-Fi? Now he would need his father's password to add his laptop to the network. Damn.

Just as he started to get back up, the door into the den opened.

"So, this is where you disappeared to, Augs. Once the girls are done clearing the dishes and stuff we were going to play some cards. Dad wanted to know if you wanted to play some penny ante poker with us. We have a deck of Braille cards just for you."

"In a little while, yes, I'd like to clean you all out. But, right now, I've got some work to do. That is if I can ever get into Dad's network. You don't happen to know the network password do you?"

"Work you say? Password you need?" Austin teased.

"Yeah, I got the call just before we sat down to eat. I've got to give him a call and I'd hoped to have been able to look at what it was he needed help with before I called."

"I know the password. It's SummerAutumn. I set the network up for him a few years ago. Easy to remember password for him."

"Not very secure. But, thanks," Auggie said and smiled. He got his things out of their bag and set them up. When his laptop had booted up, he asked it to go out and search for networks. There were several in the area, but one name he recognized right off – 'Team Anderson'. With the password Austin had given him he logged into it.

"Are you still here, Austin," Auggie asked in the direction that his brother's voice had last come from.

"Yes, Augs. Just watching you work. Interesting. Do you need for me to leave?"

"I'm afraid so, bro. What I need to look at is classified."

"Okay, but I'll be back in half-an-hour to drag your butt out of that chair and to the poker table."

Auggie heard his brother cross to the door and close it behind him. Only then did Auggie log into his E-mail account. The code had been nothing, in his opinion, but some random bits of left-over programming that hadn't been cleaned out by the programmer. He'd simply told Stu to remove it and to try the com feed again, and, if the feed was still misbehaving, to just shut it back down until Wednesday. And to go home.

Twenty minutes later Auggie was settling himself in a chair at the Anderson's game table.

"What are we playing?" Auggie asked after he'd settled into one of the comfortable game table chairs. "And what are we playing with – poker chips or real money?"

"While you were in the den saving the world, Dad and Summer sorted out a pile of coins for the four of us out of his change bucket," Austin said from Auggie's left.

"Four of us? Who all's playing?" Auggie asked truly puzzled.

"Dad, you, me, and Annie."

"Annie, oh lord-a-mercy," Auggie groaned. "She's a military brat and knows all about playing poker."

"Watch it buster," Annie said coming up behind Auggie. She wrapped her arms around his neck for a moment before taking the seat to his right.

"Where's Dad?" Auggie asked while cocking his head slightly to the left.

"I'm here, August," Alfred said from the far side of the table. "Just waiting for you to get things sorted out so we can begin this friendly game."

Auggie heard the shuffling of cards; then the dealing out of them. He gently searched the table in front of him and located his neatly stacked piles of coins and the cards that he'd been dealt. Carefully taking the cards into his hands, Auggie checked the upper left hand corner of each card for the Braille markings of its denomination. He could not believe his luck – three aces and two kings. It was the best hand that he'd had for a while. After several rounds of raising, the pot finally came down to Auggie and Annie. He called her bluff; it did not surprise him when his hand won, he just wanted to see how far that Annie would go. He seriously doubted that Annie had the cards to beat his aces and kings full house. To Austin and Alfred's embarrassment, Annie had been playing with nothing in her hand but random cards.

For the next several hours the men and Annie played poker while Jenna and Abigail entertained the girls and got them into their pajamas and lying down in the recliners.

Over the course of the evening, each had taken their fair share pots, but the pots that Annie had won had been bigger, and, by the time that Jenna had insisted that Austin take her and the girls home, Annie had, by far, the biggest pile of coins.

* * *

Kind of a slow chapter, but they all can't be exciting. So far Auggie is getting along well with parents and brother. How long with that last? How long will the weather be nice?


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks to girlwithoutfear for her input.

Disclaimer: Don't own Annie or Auggie or Covert Affairs. If I did we wouldn't be waiting so long for them to be back on.

* * *

Annie woke and rolled onto her side to snuggle into Auggie's side. As she inched closer to his form he raised his arm so that she could slide under it and closer to him.

"G'mornin' babe," he said groggily.

"You're awake? You looked to be sleeping so peacefully," Annie whispered as she placed a hand on his chest.

"Half awake," he replied. With his free hand he picked Annie's up and brought it to his lips where he kissed the back of it.

"What's in store for us today?" Annie asked quietly.

"Not sure," was the soft reply. "Traditionally the men would take in a ballgame if the Cubs or White Sox are playing at home. I'm not sure if that's still the case. If it is the women will take in some shopping and a movie."

"We'd descend en masse onto the unsuspecting mall?"

"Yeah, five women with kids in tow. The shop owners either quake in fear or welcome you all with open arms. I've heard that some serious damage is done to credit cards on these outings."

"I can't compete with that," Annie admitted with slight alarm.

"I know," Auggie said and kissed her hand again. "And it's not a competition. They spend because they can. No one would expect you to match them dollar for dollar," he added reassuringly.

Annie snuggled in closer and her hand began to inch lower on Auggie's abdomen. "Do any of your sisters-in-law work outside their homes?"

"Well, some do, and some don't. Most don't even work in their home," he added wryly. "Livie's an RN and is the nursing supervisor for North Shore University Health System; Jessica lives off her trust fund; Jenna is starting a catering business – sort of like Danielle – but is very selective right now about the gigs she takes on. She mostly does Bar and Bas Mitzvahs."

"She's Jewish?"

"No, just knows where the money is when it comes to catering jobs. Austin says she tries to steer clear of the Orthodox ceremonies, though. Too many restrictions he says."

"Alan's not married?"

"He's married to the Corps," Auggie admitted a bit sadly. "I'm hoping that he'll show sometime today or tomorrow. I'd really like for you to meet him. He was with me those first few horrible days right after the explosion. He kept me from harming myself."

"Harming yourself? What do you mean? He kept you from walking into things?" Annie was a bit puzzled. This was the first time he'd really offered much information about the time immediately after he'd been injured by the IED disguised as a dead dog. He had spoken once of some of the things that had happened during his time in the rehabilitation center that had given him pause to reconsider some things, but he had never before spoken of the days immediately after he'd been injured.

"That, too, but, as you might imagine, I was pretty messed up – not so much physically, just a few bruised ribs – but mentally. I was angry; uncooperative; and … suicidal. I asked Alan to take me to a busy highway and push me in front of a semi … or a bus …. Alan would not do it. Another time I tried to make my way to the roof of the hospital so that I could jump off. But Alan stopped me. I did not want to live. Alan talked some sense into me. There were a couple of times in rehab when I cursed him for not letting me go, but now I'm so glad that he kept me here." He smiled a big, goofy grin in Annie's direction.

He had said the words so matter-of-factly, that Annie knew they were the truth, and she cringed at the weight of what Auggie was admitting to her. She was so glad that Alan had been there for Auggie and had kept him safe. What would her life have been like this last year-and-a-half without him in it? He was her rock; her anchor to sanity in the insane world that the CIA sometimes was. He wasn't her everything, but pretty damn close.

"I hope that he does come. I'd like to give him a big kiss for keeping you safe so that I can have you now." She rose up on her elbow and leaned in to kiss Auggie on the mouth; and letting her tongue ask to be allowed to dance with his. She was eagerly welcomed in.

Auggie gently urged Annie onto her back and took possession of her mouth with his.

A gentle rap on the door interrupted his attack on Annie's mouth. "Are you two decent?"

"No, Mom. We're not decent yet."

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Whatever you feel like fixing, Mom," was his hurried reply.

"Will half-an-hour give you two time enough to get decent?"

"No, Mom. We're still in bed and just waking up good."

"Okay, an hour then," Abigail stated and moved off lightly chuckling.

"She knows?" Annie asked with alarm.

"Oh, yeah, she knows," Auggie replied and returned his attentions back to Annie's lips; one hand easily slipping under her silky pajama top.

"You're not embarrassed to have her know that we're …"

"No, Annie. She's aware of the Anderson libido. For all I know Dad's had his way with her already this morning, too."

A little over an hour later, Annie and Auggie descended the stairs to breakfast. When Abigail saw Annie, she gave her a knowing wink that sent the blood rushing to Annie's cheeks.

Auggie came into the kitchen right behind Annie and headed straight to the coffee pot. He retrieved a mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker and stuck it under the spout of the reservoir and pushed it against the button on the back of the recessed area. His mother watched with veiled curiosity. Just before the hot liquid reached the top of it, Auggie removed the mug.

"I don't know how you do that, son," Abigail gushed a few seconds later.

"Do what, Mom?" Auggie asked with puzzlement.

"Get a cup of coffee without spilling it or burning yourself."

"Oh, that. Practice, Mom, years of practice," Auggie stated matter-of-factly as he moved slowly toward the breakfast table. "What did you decide to fix for breakfast?"

"What does your sense of smell tell you?" Abigail asked with humor and a playful smile.

"Well, bacon and blueberries, is all I know for sure. Something sweet, too. Maybe syrup?" his face lit up. "Blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup!" A little boy grin spread itself across his face.

Annie hadn't seen that smile too often, but she liked it when she did. Auggie was pleased and excited. She was pretty excited too. She loved good blueberry pancakes although she'd never had them with blueberry syrup and real butter. And she knew that the blueberries were fresh. She'd seen the pint box of berries on the counter when she walked into the kitchen.

"You two please sit down and I'll bring plates over to you. Fred, if you want any of these pancakes before your son wolfs them all down you better get in here, too."

Annie heard the sound of a recliner footrest being closed. Moments later Alfred Anderson took his place at the round table in the bay window.

A quick half-an-hour later Annie was savoring the last of her pancakes. Auggie was still in the middle of his third stack of three cakes. Annie had never seen him eat so much before. He had practically inhaled the first batch, and seemed to relish every bite of the second. She had been surprised when he'd asked for thirds. She'd even asked for a fourth cake herself. Abigail Anderson was a very good cook, and she'd whipped these up from scratch, no boxed mix for her. The little bit of whole wheat flour had given them a slightly nutty undertone, but the blueberry flavor had dominated. Since Auggie seemed to love his mother's pancakes so well, Annie knew that she'd have to get the recipe from Abigail.

A noise at the mudroom door had Alfred Anderson striding across the kitchen to investigate. When he came back he was followed by a tall, good-looking man with a short and tight haircut, broad shoulders and narrow waist who bore a striking resemblance to both Abigail and Alfred. The high and tight immediately made Annie deduce that the younger gentleman in the jean shorts and Chicago Cubs T-shirt was Alan Anderson.

"Who was at the door, Dad?" Auggie asked as he finished his last bite of pancake.

"Just the black sheep of the family," said the booming Drill Instructor voice.

"Alan!" Auggie exclaimed as he rose from his seat, nearly knocking the chair over in his haste.

Annie watched with pleasure as the two men hugged and slapped each other on the back. Alan was a few inches shorter than Auggie, but out-weighed him by a good fifty rock hard pounds. He looked every bit the Marine he was.

"I thought that you'd not be able to make it this year," Auggie finally said.

"There was some doubt early on, but I got the word on Monday, that my leave request had been approved. I've got ten days before I have to report to Camp Lejeune," Alan said. "I asked that no one tell you so that I could surprise you."

"And surprise me you did! One of the better surprises I've had lately," Auggie admitted excitedly. "What are you going to be doing while you're at Camp Lejeune?"

"I'm going to be a weapons instructor. Supposedly I'm going to be training the snipers."

"Wow, Alan that sounds like a great opportunity. I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks, bro. I've worked hard to get this chance. I hope that I'm up to it. Mom, you got any more batter for those pancakes left?"

"Of course I do. I saved some just in case. Just made a fresh pot of coffee, too."

Annie cleared the plates and tableware from where she and Auggie had been sitting and indicated to Alan that he could take either seat. Then she took the items to the sink and rinsed them before placing them in the dishwasher. Once the plates were in the rack, Annie reached into the glass fronted cabinet and pulled out a coffee mug and filled it with fresh coffee. "How do you take your coffee Alan?"

"Black, just like LeRoy Jethro Gibbs on 'NCIS'," was the flippant reply. "And just who are you?"

"Annie Walker, Auggie's girlfriend." Annie smiled warmly as she sat the mug on the table in front of the handsome Marine.

"She's even prettier than you said, Auggie. I think you've hit the jackpot with her."

Annie watched as the redness of a blush reached Auggie's cheeks. Alan seemed to notice the blush on his brother's face too and grinned even more broadly at his brother's obvious discomfort. Annie slipped an arm around Auggie's waist. She was surprised when he kissed the crown of her head.

"Yes, I believe that you're right, Alan. I did hit the jackpot when Annie walked into my life. It took a very small kindness earlier this weekend to show me just how lucky I am to have her with me." He turned so that he faced Annie and, with a finger under her chin, tilted her head up so that she looked at him. He had a look that Annie had seen but once before; the look that said that he'd just had one of those proverbial 'a-ah' moments. "Anne Catherine Walker I want you in my life forever. Will you … marry me? You don't have to give me an answer right now this moment, but please consider saying yes." The words tumbled out of his mouth and left him breathless.

As the room around her grew silent, tears welled up in Annie's eyes. The words that Auggie spoke and the suddenness of them left her dumbfounded for a moment.

"You're joking, right? That's not something that you should be so frivolous about," Annie said with all seriousness. They had never discussed the subject before. For sure they had spent nights together – both at his place and at hers – but they had never even discussed living together yet. And marriage had not yet seriously crossed her mind. She had begun thinking of what being with Auggie for eternity would be like – it would be wonderful – but his asking her to marry him was the farthest thing from her mind.

Auggie brought his hands up to gently cup her face. "Annie, in this family we do not take the sacrament of marriage lightly. When we wed it is for life. Yes, asking you here and now may seem to you to be impulsive, but I have been thinking about this for a while now. Annie, I do want to marry you, but I can also understand your possible hesitance to commit to me right now."

Once she realized that he was dead serious, the answer was obvious to her. Annie stood on tip toe and kissed him. "Yes, Auggie, I'd like very much to be your wife."

"You're serious, aren't you?" A momentary look of incredulity passed over Auggie's face, but was quickly replaced by one of joy and expectation.

"Yes, Auggie, I am serious. You were not the only one to hit the jackpot when we first met."

"We've got to go shopping. I don't have a ring for you."

"Wait a minute, August," his mother said as she placed a plate in front of a befuddled Alan. As soon as the plate hit the table Abigail made a dash toward the stairs. A few minutes later she was back and calling to Auggie from the hall outside the dining room.

Annie couldn't tell what it was about, but Auggie and his mother seemed to be having an argument. Finally their voices raised enough that she could hear.

"Mom, I can't take this."

"Yes you can and you will." She closed his hand around something, before turning him around and shoving him toward the kitchen. "Now go and give it to her."

Auggie took a few steps into the kitchen and stopped. "Annie?"

"I'm right here, Auggie."

He took a few more steps and stopped in front of her. He reached for and located her left hand then slipped a ring on the ring finger. It fit perfectly. "Mom and I want you to have this as a token of my love and promise."

Annie looked closely at the ring – a large, round star sapphire circled by smaller diamonds set in either white gold or platinum. The ring was exquisite and looked to be very expensive. "Auggie it's beautiful," she gushed, "but I don't think that I can accept this ring."

"Why?" He swallowed hard. "Not nice enough?"

"Auggie, don't. … Quite the contrary; it's too nice."

"Annie? … Mom said it was a replica and nowhere near as expensive as the original," he said quietly. Annie could tell that he was hurt and on his way to getting angry.

"Auggie, that may very well be, but this ring had to have cost at least five grand."

"Six, but who's counting when it comes to my son's happiness," Alfred Anderson interjected. There was an odd look of pride in his carriage and look.

Annie could tell that she would offend the whole family if she didn't accept the ring. "Thank you, Auggie. I'll wear this ring with pride."

"You're welcome," Auggie said and then planted another kiss on Annie's lips.

"Welcome to the family," Alan said around a bite of bacon. "Are we still going to the ballgame this afternoon?"

* * *

Well? Comment's any one? Does any one agree that Alan has his priorities straight?


	7. Chapter 7

I was a bit surprised by the lack of comments on the last chapter. But that's the way it goes. Here's the next chapter. I'll be out of town for a week and am not at all certain that I'll have the time or ability to post another chapter until a week from this coming Wednesday.

My eternal thanks to girlwithoutfear for polishing up my chapters.

The usual discalaimer: blah, blah, blah do own, no interest in Covert Affairs, or the characters of Auggie and Annie.

* * *

Ninety minutes after Annie and Abigail had finished clearing the breakfast dishes and straightening up the kitchen, Austin and Jenna, with their girls in tow, arrived back at the house. Auggie, Alan, Alfred and Abigail were all in the family room relaxing before they left the house for the flurry of planned activities. Auggie was laid back in one of the recliners with Annie curled up at his side with her left hand splayed on his chest. Alan occupied the other recliner; Abigail and Alfred were in their customary spots on the sofa. Abigail had her feet tucked under her and was knitting on a sock while the others pretended to be interested in a sports show on ESPN.

As Jenna came through the doorway from the kitchen she asked Annie, "What's that on your hand? I don't remember seeing it yesterday."

"It's just a little trinket that Auggie put on my finger this morning after his mom gave it to him," Annie said nonchalantly. She was now quite proud of the ring, and what it symbolized, but didn't want everyone to get all gushy over it. She'd tried, and failed, to get in touch with Danielle several times to tell her, and really didn't know Jenna all that well, despite their bonding over golf yesterday. The other two Anderson women were still pretty much total strangers to her, too.

"Ah, I see," Jenna said lightly. "And just when did Augs here pop the question?"

"Over blueberry pancakes this morning at breakfast," Auggie chimed in with pride.

"Oh, how romantic," Jenna said with a touch of sarcasm.

"From Auggie, it was very romantic," Annie admitted. "I'll tell you all about it later, okay?"

Within the next half-an-hour the rest of the extended family had arrived and split into different parts of the house – the men stayed in the family room while the women, and most of the children, headed off into the living room. Adam's oldest, Cory, now a strapping seventeen – almost eighteen – and off to Northwestern University in a few days, remained with the men he was accompanying to the ballgame.

"Okay, Augs," Austin said as soon as the women and smaller children were out of the room, "I'm curious, what made you pop the question over breakfast?"

"That's when I realized that I wanted to marry her," Auggie said offhandedly. He saw nothing wrong with the way that he'd proposed to Annie.

"You do know that wasn't the best time to do it. You know in front of everyone. What if she'd said 'no'?"

"I told her that she didn't have to give me an answer right then, but she did," Auggie defended quickly.

"Why do you want to go and settle down?" Anthony asked. "Isn't bachelor life good enough for you? Once you're married they suck all the fun right out of life."

"Oh, Tony, don't be so cynical," Adam countered. "No one forced any of us to get married. I rather enjoy being married to Livie."

"Son, what is there about Annie that makes you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"Well outside of the fact that she's smokin' hot, she's warm, smart and passionate, and the fact that I'm blind doesn't faze her in the least. She has never once complained about anything that I've had to ask her to do for me because I can't see to do it for myself. She anticipates what I might need in a situation and seamlessly provides it. She has never belittled or patronized me. And I have every reason to believe that she loves me as much as I love her. What more does she need to be?"

"Does she have a younger sister?" Cody asked.

"I'm afraid not Cody. But you're still too young to be thinking about marriage," Auggie said seriously. Adam echoed Auggie's observation.

"And how do you know that she's hot, bro. You've never seen her," Anthony said snarkily.

"She might not be as hot as your Jessica, but I know that she's hot. All her curves are in the right places, she's trim and fit, and has a lovely face. I don't have to see to know that. She has an inner beauty that means more to me than her physical looks. Oh, and Tony, if I ever hear you say something rude or snarky to or about her I will not hesitate to punch your lights out. And don't think that I can't because I can't see. I still have my black belt."

"You've had that black belt for a long time, but have you defended it lately?" Anthony came back quickly and with more than a bit of condescension in his tone.

"Yes, Anthony, I have. Just two months ago," Auggie shot back. "You can ask Annie. She defended hers at the same time."

"Heads up Auggie, shirt coming at ya," Austin yelled as something soft hit Auggie on the chest. "If you plan on going to the game with us today, you need to put that one on."

Thankful for the change in subject matter, Auggie scooted to the edge of the seat and pulled the T-shirt he was wearing over his head. His long, sensitive fingers quickly examined the other shirt and he put the Cubs jersey on. "Ah, going to see the Cubs today in Wrigley?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Anthony puzzled sarcastically.

"The logo, asshole. This," Auggie said touching the patch on the left front of the jersey, "is not the logo of the White Sox. I'm blind, Tony, not stupid. Gawd man, how did you ever pass the bar?" To his left Auggie heard Anthony quickly rise from his seat on the couch. He rose to his feet also and clenched his fists at his side. He felt every well-toned muscle in his body tense as he waited for the slug that he knew was coming. Just before the fist reached his body, Auggie expertly deflected it, but he did not return the punch when he heard his father clear his throat.

"Tony don't you dare ask how I did that. I'm not going to tell you. I will tell you that I am perfectly capable of pummeling the crap out of you. I am no one's punching bag. If I don't take it from the occasional drunk in a bar, I'm certainly not going to take it from you.

"You seem to have grown soft, Tony. I, on the other hand, still work out at least three times a week. If I can't find someone to run with outside, I'll run at least three miles on the treadmill; usually more. And I lift weights. I'm sure you saw my body while I was changing shirts, and yet you still thought you could take me. I'm sorry Tony, but I'm through taking your crap."

He heard Anthony turn and storm out of the room. "I'm sorry you had to see and hear that Cody."

"It's okay Uncle Auggie," Cody said quietly. "I've seen fights before and heard worse language."

Expertly putting the incident with Anthony behind him, Auggie walked toward the kitchen. "Are we ready for some baseball**?" **

"Yeah, it's about time to be leaving for the stadium," Austin said catching up to Auggie. "Since Cody's coming with us again this year, we'll be going in two vehicles. Who do you want ride with Augs? Me? Or Adam?"

"Who will Tony be riding with? I'll go with whoever he's not going with," Auggie stated quickly. It was bad enough that he'd have to be in close proximity to Anthony at the ballpark, but he was damned if he was going to spend even the half-an-hour or so ride to the stadium in the same car with him.

"It'll be you, Dad, and possibly Alan with me. You know, when Tony stormed out, he had a little bit of a smile on his face; almost like he was pleased that you stood up to him."

"Maybe, but I still think he's a jerk." As an afterthought he asked, "Have you ever stood up to Tony?"

"I don't think that will ever change, Augs. And, yes I have; didn't change a thing in our relationship."

"By this stage of his life, I think you're probably right," Auggie said with a sigh, "he's too set in his ways to ever change."

"Who's set in their ways?" Alfred asked as he joined his youngest sons on the back porch.

"Tony, Dad. Tony's set in his ways when it comes to how he treats Augs and me."

"Yeah, if he didn't look so much like me, I'd be tempted to think he didn't belong to your Mom and me. I love each and every one of you boys, but there are times when I don't like you very much," Alfred said with a shake of his head.

The rest of the men's afternoon was spent enjoying a relatively pleasant baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals. Auggie wasn't sure who to root for; he'd grown up with the Cubs, but, now living in Washington, he'd had to follow the Nationals out of self-defense. When he left the game, Auggie was disappointed in the score, but he'd thoroughly enjoyed the game. For the first time that he could remember, Tony had actually almost been civil to him. He'd even volunteered to take Auggie to the men's room when he'd needed to go get rid of some of the beer he'd consumed. Auggie hadn't taken him up on the offer, but had gone with Alan. Auggie didn't quite trust Anthony.

##########

While the men were at the ballgame, the women took off to the Old Orchard Mall for some dining and shopping. They had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Over salads the adult women, when not tending to the needs of their smaller children, practically interrogated Annie: where she was from; what her formative years had been like; places that she'd lived; men that she'd dated; what she did to earn her way in the world; and how she'd met Auggie. Some of the questions Annie could answer easily and truthfully. A few she had to draw on her cover scenario to explain. While she and Auggie had been discussing some of the questions that would inevitably come up during the weekend, they'd had some problem coming up with a story to explain just how they'd met. They had finally settled on meeting at Allen's Tavern when Auggie had blundered into her while he was leaving the place and more than slightly inebriated. That would make a good story; and one that would probably be believed. She'd told it with just enough animation and with a few laughs at Auggie's expense. The women seemed to buy it.

After they'd paid their respective bills for lunch, the ladies and children, adjourned to the nearest department store – Bloomingdales. Abigail and her grandchildren: fifteen-year-old Alexis, fourteen-year-old Lucas, twelve-year-old Meghan, ten-year-old Ethan, seven-year-old Summer, and four-year-old Gracie, separated from the other women and headed toward the children's department. Olivia, Jessica, Jenna and Annie headed into the women's section. They were to meet back up at the entrance in an hour.

With much glee the other women looked through the displays of designer wear. Jessica selected several outfits by Calvin Klein, Donna Karan New York and Diane von Furstenberg and headed to the changing rooms. On her way past Annie, Jessica handed her one of the dresses.

"I think that you'd look delightful in this. Come try it on."

After a quick glance at the price tag, Annie said, "There's no way that I can afford this, Jess. Thanks, but …"

"Oh, posh. Whoever said anything about buying? Come, just try it on. For the fun of it," Jessica countered before Annie could object further.

Olivia followed Jessica and Annie into the dressing area with her own arms full of fashions. Jenna was still looking at the displays, but did have several items in her hands already.

As she stood in the dressing room, Annie fondled the fabric of the dress – a pale blue silk. She thought that Auggie would appreciate the texture and the color suited her. She took off her Cherokee shorts and top from Target, and slipped the dress on. She was pleased when she surveyed herself in the mirror; the drape of the fabric accentuated her curves. She felt almost like a fashion model in it.

Annie exited the changing room and joined Jessica, Olivia, and Jenna on the display floor. They all seemed pleased to see her in the dress.

Jessica remarked, "That dress suits you even better than I thought that it would. What do you think, Livie?"

"I agree, Jess. The color and the drape suit her perfectly. Too bad that she can't afford it," Olivia responded.

"I think that Auggie would very much like this dress on me," Annie admitted sadly.

"But he's blind!" Jessica exclaimed in a low tone.

"Yeah, Auggie's blind. And your point is?" Annie retorted glaring at Jessica

"He can't appreciate it when you get all dressed up for him. A dress like that would be lost on him." Jessica said matter-of-factly. She seemed to be enjoying Annie's growing ire.

"Oh, yes, he can! He may not be able to see the color of what I'm wearing but he is very, very aware of when I'm looking extra fine. I'm not sure exactly how he does it, but he is aware and very appreciative of my getting dressed up just for him. He would love this dress."

Jessica calmly replied, "If you say so, but I don't get it."

"You don't have to 'get it', Jess. I get it. And I'm the only one that has to. You all knew him when he could see. And you've not been around him much since he lost that sight. Sight that he lost while doing something that he thought was going to save the lives of our men and women in a war zone. Men and women who are fighting to keep your ungrateful ass from getting blown to kingdom come by those few, but powerful, fanatics who hate us and everything that we stand for, I might add. … I've only known Auggie as a blind man. I love him because of and in spite of it. Maybe, by your standards, Jess, Auggie doesn't have a high-profile or high-paying job. But it is enough for him. And it's enough for me. And, Jess, he is very, very good at what he does. He's still fighting to keep our men and women in the military safe so that they can keep us safe." Annie had not raised her voice from a conversational level, but she felt heat in her cheeks, and it was clear that her words were angry.

"You've got a lot of nerve speaking to me like that," Jessica said sternly.

"Just don't go belittling the man that I love and I won't have to," Annie hissed through clenched teeth.

"Welcome to the family, Annie. You have just told me all that I need to know about you," Jessica responded simply.

"Huh?" Annie responded dumbfounded. She could not believe Jessica's words or the self-satisfied smile spreading across her face. She looked from Jessica to Olivia and Jenna whose looks passed from aghast to as puzzled as she was.

Jessica calmly replied, "Anyone with balls enough to tell me off, and defend Auggie the way that you just did, deserves my respect. You obviously love Auggie as much, and are as protective of him, as the rest of us. I think that you'll make a fine addition to this family. … Livie, Jenna, don't look at me like that. I know what you've thought about me all these years; and I've let you. When I arrived in this family I was that way. Over the years I've grown up. I just wish that Anthony would have grown up, too. I agree, that where Auggie, and Austin are concerned he can be a bit of an adolescent. I've stopped calling him on it. I'm afraid that he'll not change." She said the last bit with sadness, before turning and returning to the dressing room.

Annie, now completely perplexed, followed Jessica to take off the dress and put her inexpensive clothes back on. After she'd removed the dress and hung it back on its hanger, she reluctantly pulled her shorts and top back on. She exited the tiny room and left the dress hanging on the wall peg. Before the dressing room door had had a chance to close, Annie returned and snatched the dress off the wall and headed to the checkout counter. As she laid the soft blue, silk dress on the counter, Jenna came up beside her.

"Annie, are you sure that you can afford this? We can because we have generous husband with very well-paying jobs; or we have our own high-paying jobs. I doubt that you make that much working for the Smithsonian. None of us expected you to spend this kind of money today."

"Yes, for me this dress is a huge splurge. But I can't let it go. Like I told Jess a bit ago, Auggie will love me in it. I've got to have this dress."

"Okay. As long as you know that we don't expect you to keep up with us in the spending department," Jenna said touching Annie's arm reassuringly.

Annie handed over her credit card to the clerk. She inwardly cringed at the almost $400 total, but knew that the sacrifices she'd have to make to pay the bill would be so worth owning that dress.

##########

Later that evening, after the shopping had ceased, and the women and their respective families had departed for the day, Annie and Auggie were getting ready for bed, when Auggie brushed against the shopping bags Annie had returned with.

"What's this?" Auggie inquired touching the bags on Annie's side of the bed. "You indulged in some shopping, too? Anything in there for me?" He began to open the bags from Bloomingdales.

"Auggie, stop. You'll ruin the surprise," Annie said as she hastily snatched the bags from his hands.

"What surprise? You know that I'm not fond of surprises," Auggie deadpanned.

"Oh, I think that you'll like this surprise, but it's for when we get back to DC."

"But I want to see what you got me now," Auggie fake pouted.

"It's stuff for me to wear, but that I think that you'd appreciate me in," Annie finally admitted, holding the bags out reach of Auggie's searching hands.

"No fair teasing the blind guy," Auggie said as he dropped his hands back to his side. The faint traces of a pout remained on his lips, but Annie knew that he wasn't really horribly upset.

"I'm not teasing, just protecting my stuff from your grubby hands," Annie playfully retorted.

"C'mon, Annie, give me a hint?"

"Oh, okay, I bought a nice dress for special occasions and some undies to go with it," Annie said simply. "Jessica picked it out and had me try it on – just for fun she said – but I felt so special in it that I had to get it. I know that you'll like it, too."

"Can I see it?"

"Go finish getting ready for bed and wash your hands and I might let you look at the dress."

A few minutes later Auggie was back from the bathroom and drying his hands on one of the hand towels. "Done and clean," he said tossing the towel toward where Annie sat on the bed. "This must be some special dress."

"It is to me, but probably not for Jess, Livie, or Jenna. Come here and sit on the bed with me."

Auggie shut the door and crossed the room to sit beside Annie. She took one of his hands and checked them for rough spots. There were none that she thought would snag on the silk fabric. Annie gently took the dress from its bag and draped it over his thighs. Auggie gently touched the fabric on his lap; he rubbed it with the back of his hand. "Ah, silk. What color?"

"It's a soft blue. Do you still remember the color of the gemstone aquamarine?"

Auggie slowly, sadly shook his head no. "I'm not sure that I ever knew that color."

"It's the birthstone for March. It doesn't matter. The dress is sort of that color."

Auggie picked the dress up. "Put it on for me? I want to see what you look like in it." His tone was softly pleading.

"The bra and panties, too?"

"Of course."

"Close your eyes."

"What? Why?"

"I want it to be a surprise. And I don't want you looking while I change into it," she softly teased.

"Why do I have to close my eyes? I can't see anyway."

"Just do it. Okay?"

"Okay, fine," Auggie closed his eyes dramatically, but there was a smile on his face.

A few minutes later Annie stood before him in her new dress. She picked his hands up and placed them on her shoulders. He slowly and carefully traced the lines of the garment on her body; taking in the soft ruffles that formed a 'V' into the valley between her breasts. When he finished his examination of her, he smiled broadly. "I approve future Mrs. Anderson."

"Now I want to see this underwear that you have on under it, which you will not be wearing for very much longer."

* * *

Comment? I know that someone is still reading me, the traffic is still up even though not quite what it's been for my first works. And here I thought that y'all would like Annie and Auggie together. Too much Anderson clan and not enough romance?


	8. Chapter 8

Didn't think that I'd be able to get this up, but here it is.

Many thanks to girlwithoutfear for her assistance.

The usual disclaimer - don't own Annie, Auggie or Covert Affairs.

* * *

Annie glanced over at the man sharing the bed with her. For the first morning since they'd come to Illinois, he was still peacefully sleeping when she'd woken up. He lay on his back, one arm straight at his side, and the other gently curved over his head; the soles of his feet were together and his knees slightly splayed out. The sheet was only partially covering his torso. His features were soft and relaxed. When she saw him like that in the morning she sometimes wanted to cry, she could only imagine the hundreds of tiny challenges that would be in his day once he awoke. She also knew that he would not be happy with her if he knew that there were times when she felt sorry for him.

As quietly as she could, Annie slipped out of bed and the room. She slowly padded down the hall to the bathroom, pink satin robe clutched securely in one hand, and her toiletries in the other. Just before she reached the bathroom door, it opened and Alan, clad only in a bath towel secured around his waist, exited the room. He smelled of AXE and was even more fit than Auggie.

"Mornin', Annie," Alan mumbled as he strode down the hall to the last door on the right.

Annie now knew that room had once been Auggie and Austin's. When they had been alone last evening for a bit, Abigail had mentioned to her some more of the things that Auggie and Austin had devised together in that room. They had laughed heartily over the tale of nine-year-old Auggie and twelve-year-old Austin climbing back in the window overlooking the back porch after an evening of playing with the neighbor boys when they were supposed to be grounded in their room because they'd been caught rifling through eighteen-year-old Anthony's room looking for his supposed stash of Playboys.

After her shower, Annie padded back down the hall and slipped quietly back into the guestroom. When she reentered the room, Auggie was sitting on the edge of the bed hunched over with arms on his thighs and appearing to stare at the floor at his feet.

"Annie? Is that you?"

"Yeah, I've just had my shower. Are you ready for yours?"

"Not quite yet, Com'ere," he said softly. Seductively.

Annie crossed the room, tossing her toiletry bag on the bed as she did, to stand before Auggie. He brought his hands up and gently brushed them against her hips and then up to her waist. Deftly he located and untied the sash to her robe, allowing it to gape open. Slowly he moved his hands towards her centerline and under the robe to softly caress the skin at her waist. He buried his face in the valley between her breasts.

"You smell good," he mumbled into her chest before tilting his head up. Annie leaned down slightly and caressed his lips with hers. He quickly possessed her mouth with his. A rap on the door stopped them in mid kiss.

"Breakfast in half-an-hour, kids," Alfred stated before moving on down the hall toward the room Alan was occupying.

Auggie sighed dejectedly. "Guess I better hustle and get my shower now. I guess we'll have to finish this later."

"I'll be here," Annie said quietly while moving to the foot of the bed.

After a light breakfast, Annie, Auggie and Alan assisted Abigail and Alfred in readying the food and yard for the afternoon's cookout. Since the weather was overcast and was beginning to look like it could rain, the guys set up a canopy on the patio and another on the deck; and they placed the extra tables and chairs retrieved from the detached garage around the deck and patio. Once the yard was ready, the men came back into the house to cool off a bit. The day was already hot and muggy.

"Auggie," Annie said as she brought him a glass of iced tea, "do you think that it's going to rain today?"

"How would I know," he said with a bemused expression. "Do I look like the weatherman?"

Annie shrugged and replied teasingly, "No, but I thought maybe your spidey senses would tell you that."

A good-natured grin appeared on his features. "Nah, Annie, I gave those super senses the day off. I'm down to my usual four. So you're on your own in that department."

Abigail approached her son and placed a hand on his shoulder while shooting a brief glare in Annie's direction. "Son, how can you joke so easily about your blindness?"

Auggie placed his hand on his mother's, "Mom, I can either occasionally joke about it, or cry. I stopped crying a long time ago. Does it mean that I like being blind? No, but there's not a thing I can do about it. Do I sometimes still get angry about being blind? Oh, hells yeah. But, again, it's just not productive to rage about it. So, I make light of it. It's how I cope. And it's okay if the future-Mrs.-Anderson jokes about it, too, Mom."

Further discussion was cut short by the arrival of Adam, Olivia and their three children.

"We came early to help Dad get things set up for the mob this afternoon," Adam said as he entered the kitchen.

"You're about fifteen minutes too late," Alan retorted from his seat at the breakfast table. "We got it all taken care of."

"Good," Cody replied with relief. "I really wasn't looking forward to lugging the extra tables out of the garage and setting them up. That's almost like work." A cheeky grin played across his features as he sat in the remaining seat at the breakfast table.

"Cody, get your butt out of that seat and go help your mother bring the food in out of the car," Adam commanded gently.

"Yes, sir," Cody replied as he rose from his seat. A short time later he and his sister, Alexis returned toting a large cooler. "Uncle Auggie, there's going to be a large cooler to the left side of the doors out onto the deck. Just letting you know so that you don't trip over it."

"Thanks for the heads-up. I'll try to remember that. What's in it?"

"Besides the potato salad that Mom made just for you, it's got some sodas and Dad's favorite beer in it. Mom's already brought in the baked beans."

"I know," Auggie replied. "I can smell them. I hope they taste as good as they smell."

"I hope so, too," Olivia remarked as she hugged Auggie around the shoulders. "Mom, is there anything that the girls and I can do to help you finish getting stuff around?"

Within an hour all of the chores that Abigail had mentioned needed to be done were complete and the now eleven adults and seven children were scattered about the house and yard. Annie, Auggie, Adam and Olivia were seated under the canopy on the deck at the round patio set.

"Auggie, I remember the last time you were here for Labor Day," Olivia began. "You were just out of rehab. You were trying so hard to act like you had your act together. I think that I was the only one that knew better."

"What gave me away?" Auggie asked with true curiosity.

"No one thing, but you just looked so overwhelmed with it all. I'd seen those looks before," Olivia remarked. "There is a big change between then and now. Now you really are together."

"I remember you telling me about your childhood friend, Emily. I've often thought back to that story and how you took me under your wing that day. How is Emily?"

"She died a few weeks ago; she lost a hard fought battle with cancer. I'd gone to see her a few months ago and she admitted to me then that she probably wouldn't last too much longer. I'll really miss her," Olivia said with great sadness.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Livie," Auggie said as he reached out for her hand. She placed her hand in his and he squeezed it gently in silent support for her anguish.

"I'm sorry about your friend, too, Livie. It's hard to lose someone in the prime of their life," Annie echoed Auggie's sentiment. She knew all too well how hard it was. But she'd gotten past her own grief and had moved on. She knew that Olivia would also.

"Thanks, guys, but it's okay. She had a good life despite being blind for most of it," Olivia smiled knowingly at Auggie. "On a lighter note, I think that the guys are getting ready to fire up the grill. I'm so ready for a nice chunk of red meat – medium rare."

"I thought that you'd sworn off red meat, Livie," Auggie said in surprise.

"Once or twice a year I'll indulge in a good steak," Olivia stated. She had an amused look on her face that made Annie think that she'd been joshing Auggie when she'd told him she's given up red meat.

Half-an-hour later Annie was placing a plate with a medium-well steak, some of Olivia's potato salad and baked beans, one of Alan's deviled eggs, and fresh veggies on it in front of Auggie. Adam had already brought him a bottle of beer. Annie smiled softly at the huge grin that crossed Auggie's face as the aromas of the food before him reached his nose, as he looked in her direction for cues. Annie leaned in and whispered them to him while she watched his pleased grin change into a grateful one.

A few minutes later Annie returned with a plate nearly identical to the one that she'd brought Auggie. Adam and Olivia joined them shortly. As they ate the foursome talked on many subjects, the future of Adam and Olivia's son, Cody, amongst them. Auggie expressed extreme pleasure that Cody wanted to study engineering.

Once everyone had finished eating, and the tables were cleared of dirty dishes and leftovers, Cody came over to Auggie and grabbed his hand. "C'mon Uncle Auggie, the guys are going to play a bit of touch football."

"Ah, Cody, I'm not so sure about that. What ya gonna use me for? A goal post?"

"No, Uncle Auggie, the goals have been marked and you're neither one of them. Gramps isn't playing this year and we need a sixth to make the teams even. It's you, Uncle Alan and Uncle Austin against Dad, me, and Uncle Tony."

"Okay, I'll give it a try," Auggie said as he pushed the chair back and rose. He took Cody's arm and let the younger man lead him to where the others were standing.

"I'm going to turn you over to Uncle Austin now," Cody said as he placed Auggie's hand on another arm.

"Okay," Auggie said toward Austin, "what's the plan? You know I never was much of a football player."

"Never fear, Augs my man," Austin whispered. "We've got it all planned out. We're just going to hike the ball to you and let you run the length of the yard for us. When you run into the deck you've made a touchdown." Austin laughed at the last statement.

"I hope you don't mean that last part," Auggie whispered back tersely.

"I don't. You should know that I wouldn't let you do that."

"Just checking."

"I'll be running alongside you keeping you safe from the defenders and yourself. Just don't run too fast. I'm not as quick on my feet as I once was."

"And we're playing touch, right? No tackling allowed?"

"Right. And right."

"Alan?"

"Right here, Auggie. Looks like I'll be lining up against Adam and Austin against Cody. Tony's their q-back." Alan whispered as he lightly touched Auggie on the back.

"Okay. Who's got the ball?"

"I do," Austin whispered back. "I'll just turn and press the ball into you, and you take off. "

"Okay. Let's give this a try." Auggie said as he followed his brothers by lightly touching each of them on the back.

A few moments after Austin and Alan had stopped moving, Auggie felt the football being shoved into his hands. He tucked the ball into the crook of his left arm and, and with his right arm extended in front of him, Auggie took off at a smart lope into his darkness. He'd taken a good dozen strides when he felt a touch in the middle of this back. He stopped running and touched the ball to the ground.

"Good job, Uncle Auggie," a slightly out of breath Cody said. "I'll be ready for you next time. Was wondering how Uncle Austin and Uncle Alan were going to use you."

"You doubt my ability, Cody?" Auggie replied with narrowed brows.

"Oh, no, Uncle Auggie. You were just a lot faster than I thought you'd be," the younger man said quickly.

"Okay, Cody. … Austin?"

"Here," Austin said as he came up beside his younger brother.

"Are we ready to go at it again?" Auggie asked with excitement.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if we're going to get away with that again. Rather took them off guard," Alan said as he came up. He took Auggie's arm and moved a few steps away from the ball. "Since I'm betting that they'll not think we'll try that again, I think we should do just that," Alan whispered to his brothers.

"Augs, you game for another run?"

"Sure," Auggie replied with enthusiasm. "How far to the goal line you guys designated?"

"About twice what you've already run," Alan said quietly.

"Let's do it," Auggie said as he grasped Alan's arm.

A few minutes later, Auggie was running across the yard; running with abandon until he felt a shove in the middle of his back and he pitched forward landing with a grunt on the ground. A split second later a body was sprawling across his lower torso. "I thought there was no tackling!" Auggie exclaimed as he tried to extricate his legs from under the other person.

"Sorry, bro," Anthony said. "I tripped over my own goddamned feet." He moved just enough that Auggie was able to get his legs out.

"The hell you did." With a lightning fast move Auggie was straddling Anthony and had his right hand fisted and ready to deliver a blow to his brother's face. A hand restrained Auggie before he could land the blow, but not before Auggie hissed out, "I told you the other day I wasn't taking your shit anymore, Tony!"

"He did trip, Auggie. I saw it," Adam said as he pulled a squirming Auggie off the top of Anthony.

"You always did take his side against me," Auggie said with rancor as he pulled away from his oldest brother. "Alan? Austin?" Some of the tension left him when a hand brushed against his and he was able to take a few steps away from Adam and Anthony.

"Augs, do you trust me?" Austin asked quietly.

"Yeah, I do," Auggie said with conviction. Austin was one of the few people in the world that he trusted implicitly. Annie was the other.

"He tripped over his own feet just like he said," Austin said putting a hand on Auggie's chest. "He's coming this way, and he looks apologetic."

"Take me back to the house, Austin. I don't want to deal with him right now."

"Auggie, you still got some moves on you. I guess once a special forces soldier always a special forces soldier," Anthony said with admiration as he stopped in front of his younger brother.

"Yeah. I told you not to mess with me," Auggie said casting a glare at Anthony.

"I'm sorry, Auggie. I'm sorry for everything," Anthony said as he wrapped his arms around his youngest brother. "Love you, man," he whispered in Auggie's ear as he clapped him on the back.

Auggie didn't quite know what to make of his brother's action and words. It was the first time he could remember that Anthony had touched him with anything resembling affection. And to actually express the sentiment in words was unheard of. As Anthony loosened his hug on him, Auggie took a step back. "Why? And why now?"

"Don't know. Just wanted you to know that," Anthony said as he walked away from Auggie.

"Crap," Auggie suddenly exclaimed. "There's a storm coming. We need to get those canopies down before they blow away. And the extra tables put up, too."

"How do you know?" Alan asked.

"I just know," Auggie said with assurance. "Hurry! I don't think we have much time."

Alan took Auggie's hand and started back toward the patio yelling, "C'mon we've got to get the yard ready for a storm. Auggie's spidey senses are tingling."

For the next few minutes the Anderson backyard was a flurry of activity; everyone pitched in and got the canopies down and the tables and chairs stored in record time. All the while the thunderstorm was inching closer. The first rain drops began just as the men were on their way back from stowing the last of the tables in the garage. Before they could all make it into the house the skies opened up; and the wind began to whip the branches on the trees into a frenzy.

"Auggie, you're drenched," Annie said with concern. "Go upstairs and get into some dry clothes."

"No, we have to go to the basement. I'm afraid that this storm is going to be bad."

No sooner were the words out of Auggie's mouth than a clap of thunder rattled the windows of the house, and a tree branch crashed onto the patio where the men had been just a few moments before.

* * *

I'd appreciate a comment or two.


	9. Chapter 9

Time for the next-to-last chapter in this particular story. For my few, but loyal, followers, there is a sequel in the works. For the hard core Christopher Gorham fans who follow me, there is a reference to another Christopher Gorham vehicle somewhere in here. Mention reference and CG work and you might get a teaser from the new work for your effort. (In an earlier chapter there was another Christopher Gorham reference. Did anyone catch that one, too?)

Thanks to girlwithoutfear for her whipping me into shape.

The usual discaliamer: don't own

* * *

As the storm raged outside, the eighteen people crammed into the small space under the stairs grew increasingly restless. Finally the sound of thunder tapered off in frequency and intensity. Only then did Alfred let his family out of the storm shelter. He commanded the rest of the family to stay in the basement until he surveyed the upper floors for broken windows – or worse. A long few minutes later Alfred was at the top of the stairs giving the 'all clear'.

First the men, except for Auggie, and then the women and children filed up the stairs. Auggie still hung back.

"What's wrong, Auggie?" Annie asked as he stopped her from ascending the stairway past the bottom step.

"Nothing, Annie. I just wanted a minute alone with you," Auggie replied as he wrapped his arms around Annie. They now stood nose to nose with Annie on the first step. He tilted his head and aimed for Annie's mouth. She met his lips with hers and returned his kiss. The kiss was brief but satisfying.

"We'd better get upstairs and help clean up the yard. I have a feeling there's a lot of dead branches scattered about," Auggie said after he broke the open-mouthed kiss.

"Yeah. No need to have tongues wagging any more than they have been," Annie replied softly as she turned and mounted the rest of the steps. Auggie's hand was on her butt for most of the way up the stairs.

"How bad is the damage in the yard, Dad?" Auggie asked as he entered the family room. He felt a warm, muggy breeze from the open doors to the backyard.

"It's been worse," Alfred replied. "Would have been worse if you hadn't told us to get things cleared out of the yard when you did. How did you know about the storm? I didn't hear the thunder until the canopies were almost down, by then the yard was mostly picked up. Do you really have super senses?"

"No, Dad, I don't. Since I can't pick up on visual cues anymore, I've learned to rely on the others more. I didn't really hear the thunder when I first thought that we needed to pick things up. I don't know exactly what it was, but I knew that something in the weather was 'off'. I get those feelings sometimes when I just know that things just aren't right, but I don't know how I know."

"Well, however you knew, I'm glad that you knew and had us pick things up when you did. It's not pretty out there, but it could have been a whole lot uglier if we hadn't gotten stuff picked up," Alfred said as he hugged Auggie about the shoulders with one arm.

"Anything I can do to help pick up the debris, Dad?"

"No. Alan and Adam are out picking up the big stuff and the rest can wait for later. One big dead limb on the patio and the rest isn't hardly worth mentioning."

The sound of a chainsaw came in the open door from the back yard.

"Here, Augs," Austin said as he brushed a cold bottle against the back of Auggie's hand. "It's a wonder we still have power after that storm."

"Wouldn't bother me if the power was out," Auggie deadpanned. "I'm always in the dark anyway." He took a long drink of the bottle in his hand. "Mmmm, this is different. Good, but different. Where'd you find this beer?"

"In a cooler by the back door," Austin replied. "A friend of Adam's makes and bottles it. He calls it Sacred Turtle. Don't ask me why he calls it that, but it's pretty good for home brew."

Beer in hand Auggie walked out onto the deck. The buzz of the chainsaw through wood ceased.

"Auggie, ask Dad where he wants the wood stacked. We've got the limb all cut up, just need to know what to do with it now." Alan said.

"Just stack it with the rest of the wood over by the fence behind the garage," Alfred said as he came out onto the deck behind Auggie.

"Can I help you carry it out there?" Auggie asked as he started down the steps to the patio with purpose.

"We've got it covered, Auggie," Alan said kindly. "There's not that much. Just go back inside and relax for a bit."

"Okay," Auggie said dejectedly. Turning he climbed back up three steps to the deck and went back into the house. He did not take kindly to the easy dismissal from Alan.

As he shut the door behind him, Auggie felt a hand intertwine with his. Annie tugged on his hand and he followed her into the kitchen. Soon he found himself backed into a corner of the cabinets. He brought his hands up to cup her face. Her hands grasped his and pulled them away from her face, but she did not turn loose of them.

"Auggie, I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. Alan did not blow off your help because you're blind. Not everything is about you being blind. There wasn't that much wood, and the two of them were perfectly capable of piling it in the wheelbarrow and taking it where your dad wanted it to go in one trip."

"Are you the one with the special senses now that lets you get inside my head?" Auggie said snappishly.

"No, but I heard the change in your tone, and saw the change in your carriage. It didn't take much for me to deduce why. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry," Annie said softly. "Am I?"

"No."

"Why are you so defensive when it comes to your brothers? You seem to take anything they do as an affront. Why?" Annie ran the back of her hand down Auggie's cheek.

"Old habits die hard," he said as he tried to brush past Annie. She did not budge.

"I thought the only one you had problems with was Tony."

"At one time or another I've had problems with all of them, even Austin. Until Adam was out of the house he was hardest on me, but Tony got his licks in, too. It was usually Austin and me against Adam and Tony. Alan was a chameleon; he could be our ally one minute and our enemy the next. Everyone took offense at having another baby brother, but Tony has always been the most resentful. Can we let this drop now?"

"Not quite," Annie said patting Auggie on the chest. "Do you believe me that Adam and Alan weren't dismissing you because of your eyes?"

"I want to Annie, but I can't. I just can't." He kissed the crown of her head. "But, thanks for trying."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine now. But I don't think that we're out of the woods weather-wise though." A rumble of thunder could be heard off in the distance. In the family room someone turned the TV on and changed the channel to the Weather Channel. The forecast for the rest of the afternoon and evening called for more thunderstorms, some possibly spawning tornadoes.

Annie and Auggie moved from the corner of the kitchen to the table in the breakfast room. Auggie fidgeted in his seat and ran his hands through his hair. "What's wrong now, Auggie? Still stewing about your imagined slight by your brothers?"

"No. Not that. The weather. Don't like the weather this afternoon. One of the reasons I moved out of the mid-west; Washington may get its share of severe weather, but it doesn't usually produce tornadoes. Ever since I was a little kid the forecast of potential tornadoes rattled me. I would have been just fine if I hadn't heard that this area was under a Tornado Watch. I could tell the weather might get feisty this afternoon, but I didn't need to know that it could get that violent."

Annie took one of Auggie's hands in hers. Usually her touch calmed him, but not right now. He heard footsteps coming toward him.

"Augs, Jenna, the girls and I are going to head for home," Austin said as he patted his brother on the shoulder. "This weather is going to put a damper on the rest of the outdoor activities. It was good seeing you again. Don't stay away so long next time."

"I might be back again before another four years," Auggie joked at his brother.

Jenna leaned in and hugged her brother-in-law and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Listen to your brother, Augs. Don't stay away so long. I'd like the girls to know all of their uncles."

"I'll try not to stay away so long, Jenna. I'd like to know my nieces, too."

As she moved away, Jenna said to Annie. "It was nice to get to know you this weekend, Annie. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help with wedding plans."

"We're going to dash, too, Auggie," Adam said also touching his youngest brother on the shoulder. "Like Austin said, don't stay away so long. We miss you." He patted his brother on the side of his face.

Olivia hugged Auggie and expressed similar sentiments, as did her children, to both Auggie and Annie.

A few minutes later, as the sounds of pounding rain could be heard outside the bay window, Anthony said, as he settled into one of the chairs at the round table, "It looks like we're stuck here for a bit longer unless we want to venture out into that downpour."

"Yeah, sounds that way, doesn't it," Auggie said as he started to rise from his seat.

"Auggie, don't go. I want to talk to you," Anthony said with a bit of pleading.

"And what if I don't want to talk to you," Auggie said as he continued to rise from his seat.

"Auggie, please, sit down." There was command in his tone. Auggie sat. Annie got up to leave.

Auggie reached out and stopped her. "Don't go. You might need to stop me from kicking his ass."

Annie sat back down.

"Auggie," Anthony began, "I want to clear the air with you. I heard you tell your girlfriend that I resented having you as a brother."

"Still eavesdropping on my conversations I see," Auggie said with resentment.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response, Auggie. Anyway, when I was a kid, yes, I think that I may have resented having another brother, but not anymore. Not in a long time. I just want you to know that I'm proud of the man that you've become."

"Why? Why are you telling me this now?"

"First time I've had a chance to see you since you got back from Iraq."

"I was here four years ago. You could have said something then."

"I didn't know what to say, then. You were still hurting over what had happened to you. I guess I didn't want you to think that I pitied you then. Maybe I did a little, but I certainly don't anymore."

"You pitied me?"

"Yeah, I guess. I felt sorry for you. Wondered what you'd be able to make of your life. I was proud of you before for following your convictions and volunteering to go do the really dirty work over there. We all knew that you were Special Forces and you would be doing dangerous things. We all feared for your life over there. Even more than we feared for Alan's safety."

"I know you were hoping that I wouldn't come back. One less brother to steal your limelight."

"No, Auggie, I never wanted that. None of us did."

"You hated me."

"No, never did. Didn't like you very much sometimes, but never hated you; never indifferent toward you, either."

"Funny way of showing it, tormenting me mercilessly."

"Oh, that. It started out to be fun when you were a baby. You were always so easy to rile up. Always came at us swinging. After a while it just got to be the way I said, 'I love you'. As you got older you were able to give as good as you got. I sort of admired that and just wanted to see what you'd come up with next. And, Annie, if you don't know it already, you've got to watch out for this man; he has a very devious mind."

"Oh, I know all about his mind," Annie admitted with a tinge of pride.

"Oh, har," Auggie said and smiled. "Really, Tony, why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I don't want you to stay away for another four years because of me. Mom and Dad are still in good health, but they're not getting any younger. I'm afraid that when they do pass then us boys will drift even farther apart than we are now. I don't want that to happen. The three of us that still live in the area get along pretty good; of you and Alan, you're the only one who hasn't been back here at all since you've been blind, Auggie. … And don't give me the line you gave Mom and Dad about travel being hard for you. I know you, if you'd wanted to be here you would have made it work."

"There'll be a wedding in the near future," Auggie declared.

"I don't want to wait for a wedding that might or might not happen to see you again."

Both Annie and Auggie began to protest the last statement, but Anthony continued in a level just barely above a whisper, "I know that you love each other, that's plain for anyone with half a brain to see. But I figure that you'll need to get permission from your real employer to marry; and your joining may or may not be approved. … Don't give me that bewildered look. I've known for a long time about Auggie and it would not surprise me if you know each other from work; your real jobs as spies. I figured out also that Auggie was on a black op when he was injured. … Oh, I know neither of you can or will confirm my suspicions, but I just wanted you to know that I suspect that things are not exactly what they appear to be."

Auggie sat stone-faced in the face of the accusations of his brother. He could not, would not, dignify them. Finally Auggie asked, "Just what is there about me that gives you these hare-brained ideas?"

The faint wail of a siren was heard outside. It cut further conversation between Annie, Auggie and Anthony off as they quickly followed the others back to the storm shelter.

* * *

Who has a guess on the reference? Any other comments? You know the muse lives on chocolate, Chardonnay, and reviews.


	10. Chapter 10

For CelticGina I'll post the final chapter on the weekend. ;-)

Once again, thanks to girlwithoutfear for her input - minimal as it may have been.

Disclaimer: Don't own CA or any of it's characters.

* * *

After a few minutes of being in the area under the basement stairs, everyone, especially the children, began to get antsy. Alfred opened the door to the storm shelter but would not allow anyone to leave the basement area. About fifteen minutes had passed since the warning alarm had gone off and the weather outside seemed to be calming down. Then Auggie felt more than heard the tornado coming.

"Come on, back in the shelter," Auggie commanded in a tone that did not show his anxiety. "Everyone inside now?"

"Yes," said Alfred as he closed the door again.

Auggie winced as his ears popped from the pressure differential. "Annie?"

"I'm here," she said as she slipped an arm around him. "Ow!"

"What's wrong Annie?"

"My ears just popped. Hurt. Now the lights have gone out."

"Crap!" Auggie exclaimed so that only Annie could hear. He wrapped his arms around her more firmly.

The sound of breaking glass came from somewhere upstairs and the house seemed to groan. The seven adults and two children huddled closer together as the wind outside began to sound like a truckload of squealing pigs.

Soon the wind calmed outside, but the calm did not translate to those huddled in the Anderson's storm shelter. Alfred Anderson allowed a few more minutes to pass before he carefully opened the door. As before, he commanded the others to stay in the basement as he surveyed the potential damage to his home. This time Alan followed him up the stairs. The two men were back down in the basement after a few minutes.

"We've had some damage, but it's not too bad," Alfred stated. "Lost a window in the living room and a few shingles from the roof, but no other serious damage to this house. The cars are basically okay, too. The house next door is pretty much destroyed, as is the one just beyond and the two across the street and the ones behind them. Can't see much beyond them. I'm going out to the garage and get some plywood and Alan and I are going to board up that window. Adam and the rest of you can do what needs to be done inside to minimize the damage."

The two men headed back up the stairs.

"Auggie, are you okay?" Abigail asked her son. "You look rather flustered."

"You know me and rough weather, Mom. I'll be fine in a little bit." Auggie took in a lung full of air and slowly exhaled. It calmed him a bit.

As he came out of the basement, hand in hand with Annie, Auggie clearly heard the sound of approaching sirens and of chainsaws firing up; and a frantic knock on the front door. Someone moved to answer the door.

"Abby, are you and Fred okay?" the someone at the door inquired breathlessly, as if they'd been running.

"Yeah, Mary, everyone here is fine. According to Fred all we lost was the front window. He and our son Alan are getting ready to fix that. How are the other neighbors?"

"There are some injuries in the most severely damaged houses, but nothing that appears life-threatening. I'm glad that you have a son here to help board up that window. Hate to think of Fred trying to do that all alone."

"Actually I have three of my sons here right now. August, come here and meet our neighbor from across the street."

"Coming, Mom," Auggie said as he made his way down the hall to the foyer. "Mom?" he asked when he reached the end of the hallway.

"Right here," Abigail announced.

Auggie extended a hand toward his mother, and she lightly brushed hers against it. He recognized the slight intake of breath as his mother's friend realized that he was blind. Sometimes that sound irritated the hell out of him; today it did not.

"Mary, I'd like you to meet my youngest son, August. August, I'd like you to meet my neighbor, Mary Pat Burton."

Auggie extend his right hand in the direction he'd heard the gasp from. "Nice to meet you, Mary Pat."

"I just go by Mary. It's nice to finally meet you, August," she said as she firmly shook Auggie's hand. "He's not married is he?" Mary asked Abigail. "I've got a daughter I could introduce him to."

Auggie laughed lightly. "It's Auggie," he replied. "And I'm recently engaged."

"Darn," his mother's neighbor said. "Should have known that this fine specimen of a man would be taken."

Auggie could imagine the amused grin on her face. "Sorry 'bout that," he remarked casually, but he could feel the heat rushing into his cheeks. He never thought that he was particularly good-looking, but not pug ugly either.

"Glad to know that everything's relatively fine here. Got to get back to my family. See you later, Abby." And she was gone from the door. Abigail firmly closed the solid wood door and leaned against it briefly before heading into the hallway.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Auggie asked quickly when he heard his mom lean against the door for a moment.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Just got a good look at the devastation outside. It's bad and we are very lucky. I never thought that I'd ever say this, but I'm glad that you can't see what's happened outside. You'd never come home during storm season again."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be home again. And it won't take four years to get me back here either."

"I'll make sure of that," Annie said as she slipped an arm around Auggie.

"I don't promise to be back for both the Labor Day get-together and Christmas, but I promise to come home for one of them a year," Auggie stated firmly.

"Of the two, I'd rather have you come home for Christmas, but travel at that time of year is frenetic and the weather so unpredictable. As long as I can see my baby once a year, I'll be happy," Abigail said as she patted her son on the arm.

The trio headed toward the back of the house. When they arrived in the family room, Anthony and Alfred were discussing what they were going to do for the evening.

"Dad, I've just got done talking to Adam and Austin. None of us can take all five of you, but Adam, Austin and I each have an extra bed for someone. We just need to figure out who is going home with whom. You are not spending the night here," Anthony stated in a tone that did not leave room for debate.

"What's the plan?" Auggie asked as he came into the room. He heard just enough of the conversation to understand that he and Annie would not be spending another night in his parent's house.

"Auggie, you and Annie need to get all your stuff together. You'll be going to the airport from wherever you spend tonight. Mom, Dad, Alan, need to get enough for overnight. You can come back tomorrow and get things straightened out with the house and getting Alan to his flight on Wednesday."

"Who is staying with whom?" Auggie asked.

"That's up to you, Auggie. I figure that your first choice would be to go stay with Austin; but I'd like you to give some serious thought to coming home with Jess and I," Anthony said.

"I'll do that," Auggie said as he turned to head upstairs. "C'mon Annie; let's go get our stuff."

As he and Annie mounted the stairs, Auggie heard his Mom, Dad and Alan following them. Less than twenty minutes later all five were getting into one of the three vehicles in the drive: Alan took his mother's Volvo to go to Austin's home; Alfred and Abigail took the Mercedes to Adam's, and, in a surprising leap of faith, Auggie and Annie were climbing into Anthony's Tahoe. Good-byes had been said and good-bye hugs made before they entered the vehicle.

Twenty minutes later Anthony was trying to show Auggie the way into his house in Northbrook. Jessica, Annie and the boys had already gone ahead.

"I'm so glad that you decided to give me a chance, Auggie," Anthony said as he and Auggie stood beside the vehicle. "You're going to have to tell me what to do to help you be comfortable in my home. I want to understand, Auggie. I really do."

"I'm going to take your arm and you just walk normally. If there's stairs, pause for a moment at the bottom and let me know how many steps up or down. At the door let me know that you're opening a door and if it opens in or out, and to the right or left."

Without too many utterances of 'I'm sorry', Anthony got Auggie into the house and to one of the chairs in the family room. Auggie briefly examined the chair, a leather wing back with a tufted back, before he sat.

"It's a recliner, just push back," Anthony said as he crossed to the sofa and sat. "Do you watch TV?"

"Yeah, more listen to than watch," Auggie replied with a small grin.

"Mind if I turn the TV on?"

"It's your house; I'm just here because Mother Nature decided to have a temper tantrum where I was earlier today," Auggie said. "If you want to watch your TV go right ahead. Since I'm more or less a captive right now, I'll just cope. If you're watching something good, I might just enjoy it."

"What do you mean 'captive'? You came here willingly I thought," Anthony said with slight alarm.

"I didn't mean it that way. Yes, I came here willingly, but for the time being I'm stuck in this chair. I don't think Jess would appreciate me bumbling around in her beautiful home trying to find my way around. And I'm not sure that I want you to see me that way either. When I'm in totally unfamiliar territory is when I'm at my most helpless. Since I have never before set foot in this house, it's unfamiliar territory." Auggie sighed quietly knowing that he'd just given fuel to his former tormentor. Would Anthony now use this information against him? Auggie figured that he'd get the answer to that question before too long.

"Thanks for confirming what I'd suspected. And no, I did not ask you here so that I could see you that way or make fun of you. Truth is, I've grown jealous of the relationship that you have with our other brothers. You're very close to Austin, fairly close to Alan, and don't mind being around Adam. Me – you always seem to avoid like the plague. I realize that I did that to myself by the way that I've treated you all your life; and I want to change that. When you were hurt and I knew that the brother that I'd known wasn't coming home again I cried. When you came home after your stay in rehab all I wanted to do was protect you. I totally failed at that. Then when you made excuses not to come back here, I knew that it was because of me. And last Christmas we all came to that conclusion while missing you."

"Tony, I – " Auggie began.

"Tony, dear," Jessica interrupted, "these hollow-legged sons of yours want to be fed again. If it's okay with Annie and Auggie, I thought I'd order in pizza."

"Fine with me. As long as it doesn't have anchovies or hot pepper I like pizza," Auggie chimed in quickly.

"Same here," Annie added coming into the room behind Jessica. "I'm not overly fond of mushrooms, but I can pick those off."

"Okay, pizza it is," Jessica stated as she left the room.

Anthony clicked on the TV and channel surfed for a few minutes before finding a station with coverage of the afternoon's storm and tornado. As he listened to the reporters' coverage, the luckier Auggie felt about his parent's home missing the full brunt of the storm and the sadder he felt for those in its path.

"Before we left the house I was beginning to feel like a bad citizen. I've got all this training that I knew that I couldn't effectively put to use," Auggie stated sadly.

"You don't have the corner on that market, Auggie," Anthony said. "I wanted to help, but figured that I'd just be in the way, too. There were plenty of people there that did know what they were doing so I didn't feel too badly about not helping and leaving when we did. … Going to call Adam and check to make sure that Mom and Dad did go there. I wouldn't put it past Dad to look like he was leaving and double back and stay in the house without power and a broken window."

"I understand you concern, but I didn't hear anything in his words or tone but compliance," Auggie said confidently.

"How do you know that, Auggie? Spidey senses? Spy training?" Anthony queried with just the faintest hint of mockery.

"Training yes, but the kind that I got in rehab. Since I can no longer read a person's face and gestures I've had to learn to listen to a person's words and tone of voice to know if they're being serious or joking," Auggie explained. "I'm the head of the Technical Operations Division at the Pentagon, Tony. I work with computers. I'm not an Intelligence Officer," Auggie stated firmly using all of the skills he'd learned at Camp Peary so many years ago to convince his brother that he was not a spy.

"I only half believe you," Anthony said strongly, "but I'll let it go for now."

Anthony finally called Adam and found that his parents were indeed comfortably entrenched in Adam's guest suite. They, too, had been watching the local coverage of the storm and felt extremely lucky.

Later in the evening, long after pizza, sending the boys to bed, and the women retiring to their rooms, Anthony and Auggie sat in the family room sipping on tumblers of Maker's Mark on the rocks. They talked of many things: childhood memories from both perspectives, incidents in adulthood that perpetuated Auggie's distrust of his own brother, and of the last four-and-a-half years of Auggie's life – the high points and even of the low ones. When Anthony finally led him to the guest room, Auggie knew that he'd no longer avoid family gatherings with Anthony. There was still a lifetime of built up resentment, but he knew that his brother not only loved him, but also liked and respected him. He was very glad that he had come home.

* * *

The sequel had been coming along like gangbusters, but I've hit a BIG writer's block. I need some direction from you my few, but loyal readers. There are several months and a couple of holidays between Labor Day and the potential wedding date and thoughts of incidents that could test Annie and Auggie's commitment and relationship. Do you want a shorter story with minimal scenes? Or a bit of a longer one with more exploration of Annie and Auggie's relationship and how they prepare for their hoped for walk to the altar (and afterwards)? Speak to me? About that and about this final chapter of 'Coming Home'.


End file.
